Sometimes we think we're living in Groundhog Day. "We're going to cut off illegal downloaders!" the government will cry, before abandoning the plans. The next day, "We're going to cut off illegal downloaders!" The next day… you get the idea.
Guess what's happened today? That's right! The government's going to cut off illegal downloaders!
You know as well as we do the reasons why cutting off people's connections is over the top and unfair, so let's skip that. Instead, let's look at the bigger picture: what on earth was the point of Digital Britain?
That, you'll recall, was an attempt to come up with a brilliant plan for Britain's digital future, taking care of existing industries while nurturing new ones. And one of the things that the Digital Britain report ruled out was, you've guessed it, cutting off people's internet connections.
Now maybe we're wrong, and the government's decision to ignore its own experts is nothing to do with Peter Mandelson palling around with billionaire record company owners.
That's certainly the government's line, and it's not as if they've got a track record of making stuff up or telling bare-faced lies. Mind you, if the government is lying, we'd understand it. We wouldn't approve, but we'd understand it: politicians have a long tradition of protecting their pals and ignoring the great unwashed.
If the government's telling the truth, however, it's even more depressing - because it means the whole Digital Britain process is a sham, just like any other public consultation.
Digital Britain's job in that environment isn't to listen to everybody, balance their needs and protect the country's digital future; it's to rubber-stamp things the government has already decided to do, and if it comes up with alternatives it's simply going to be ignored.
Some choice, eh? Either our digital policy has already been decided and projects such as Digital Britain are simply marketing, an attempt to make us think that the government gives a monkey's about what we think while it watches us on CCTV and sniggers, or our digital policy is based on looking after whoever takes our elected representatives on the nicest trips.
Perhaps we shouldn't be looking at official reports to see what our digital future holds: we should be keeping an eye on who's taking Peter Mandelson to dinner.
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Your comments (15) Click to add a new comment
kasino72
August 27th 2009
15. angry14u: "Why doesn't the entertainment industry just get a small percentage of the VAT from every computer, monitor, mouse"
Ah, that's a big old can of worms. What's so special about the entertainment industry? Bloggers repost things I've written, I've seen PDFs of my article shared illegally. Why shouldn't I get a cut of that money too? And the legal porn business is suffering badly from file sharing, so they should get a cut. And, and, and...
What makes this different from, say, the BBC license fee is that there isn't a public interest justification for making people who don't file share pay for those who do.
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kasino72
August 27th 2009
14. Bobafett34: "Why must TechRadar assume that all its readers are file-sharing copyright thieves?"
If we assumed that, we'd say that. The phrase linked to a piece by Graham Cluley pointing out the risks of Wi-Fi piggybacking and of employees' activities potentially affecting companies. To that I'd add due process - there's a risk of kangaroo court here - and the copyright industries' long track record of suing the wrong people. Then there's the additional costs ISPs will incur to do this, which will inevitably be passed on to their customers. These things can potentially affect any internet user, not just file sharers.
The biggest concern, though, is that this is a dangerous precedent because it removes ISPs' role as common carriers - that is, they're no more responsible for what their users do than BT is responsible for what you say on the phone. Personally I think that's a dangerous step, not least because music and movies aren't the only copyright owners whose content is being illegally shared. ISPs could easily end up in the policing content business, not the internet access business.
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bobafett34
August 26th 2009
13. Lovlid: I was making the point that I found it odd that TechRadar assumed everyone thought utting off people's connections was 'over the top and unfair'. Heaven forbid someone might have a different point of view.
Moving on, yes, wouldn't it be great if the film industry would upgrade your DVD to a Blu-ray. Maybe we could get the car industry to upgrade my Ford Fiesta to a Lamborghini, or get the RSPCA to upgrade my cat once I've become bored of it and I've seen a cuter one.
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lovlid
August 26th 2009
12. @ bobafett(original)34.
Truly you are an Angel, the Purest of the Pure, the very Tear's from Heaven. I bet you've never even f@rted in public have you?
Its a safe bet for Techradar to assume we know what they are on about because we, erm, read the articles they write on the subject. So, its an easy assumption, don't you think?
Its just a thought, but if I buy certain software packages, Photoshop, Norton, Windows etc, when the new one comes out, I just pay for the upgrade, not the full priced version. Why can't the film industry upgrade my DVD copy of X-Men to Blu Ray for, say, two thirds of the RRP.
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bobafett34
August 25th 2009
11. 'They want you to pay again and again for the same stuff
VHS > DVD > Blu-Ray > Digital download
If i paid for Aldin on VHS why should i have to pay for it another 3 times in a different formats!?! The same with Music'
Sloman, if I buy a hardback book I don't expect to be given a paperback copy, and the DVD of the movie of the book, and the audio book, gratis.
And you don't 'have' to buy a movie on different formats – it's your choice.
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avi
August 25th 2009
10. I don't give a monkey's about the record industry, I don't even like them and I certainly don't see why our government needs to get involved in alleged illegal file sharing.
This has to be the most incompetent and wasteful government in history, they should be saving our money not spending it.
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bobafett34
August 25th 2009
9. 'You know as well as we do the reasons why cutting off people's connections is over the top and unfair, so let's skip that'
Erm, I don't know why it's over the top and unfair. Why must TechRadar assume that all its readers are file-sharing copyright thieves?
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jasonb
August 25th 2009
8. I remember how refreshing I thought this was when I watched the live stream whilst at work, but then after about 10 minutes realised that the people talking at this event, should have indeed been the people listening.
The government is doing very little to encourage small innovative technology start ups in London or in the whole of the UK in general, we're actually doing it all ourselves against the grain if you like.
It seems this whole exercise was to make the right noises in the right direction, with some of the right people, but then leave it for a couple of years.
Innovative young start ups are making an impact with unique offerings in a tough economic environment - being seen to 'do the right thing'. But the government just stands back and watches whilst it looks after its own.
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angry14u
August 25th 2009
7. Why doesn't the entertainment industry just get a small percentage of the VAT from every computer, monitor, mouse .. in fact every piece of equipment to do with the internet and let downloading of films etc. continue for free.
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watcherzero
August 25th 2009
6. The BBC iPlayer is now responsible for over 50% of all UK traffic and it uses p2p traffic, even before that 70% of all traffic was torrent based.
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sloman
August 25th 2009
5. They want you to pay again and again for the same stuff
VHS > DVD > Blu-Ray > Digital download
If i paid for Aldin on VHS why should i have to pay for it another 3 times in a different formats!?! The same with Music
Fat cats media industry!
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sloman
August 25th 2009
4. @cyberdoyle
I completely agree with you, you are bang on!
FTTH!!!
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cyberdoyle
August 25th 2009
3. file sharing and the £6 levy are smokescreens to hide the fact that korea is getting 1000meg for a tenner a home, and the UK is stuck with narrowband over copper. They should be concentrating on lighting the fibre. The media can take care of themselves. An obsolete victorian copper network can't deliver next gen services. The digitalbritain team should get their priorities in order.We need fibre to the home, to provide the connections of the future and not waste time patching up the copper to deliver a pathetic 2meg to UKplc.
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caimbeul
August 25th 2009
2. I must add that i do not "file share" any copyrighted materials but there are key principles here that need to be addressed.
who needs to DL music illegally anyway when you can buy a song for 65p on play?
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caimbeul
August 25th 2009
1. Admitedly the majority of P2P traffic is likely to be of the questionable variety but not all of it. What about the people using P2P legitimately? In order for an ISP to determin what i am sending and receiving across the internet they would have to analyse and reconstruct my data...surely a breach of my privacy and civil liberties!!? This is the biggest point peole seem to have missed in my opinion. I agree that piracy isnt the best thing but file sharing is a natural by-product of a digitally connected world. The music an movie industries and artists are still making oodles of cash and are just greedy for wanting more and more an more, further feuling the rich/poor divide.
MPAA & RIAA etc - stop being greedy - you are still making loads of dosh.
Governments & ISP - We have a right to privacy
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