Kicking off the pirates - A UK Green Paper
By Dave Adamson in Reader
Posted in Government, Internet on February 13, 2008 at 9:48 am
A UK Governmental green paper - a report proposed with no promise of action - has been issued suggesting that internet users who download copyrighted material should be under a “three strikes” policy.
Firstly, you get a warning. Second, suspension from your ISP. Finally, a ban from the ISP.
It potentially replaces a rumoured voluntary system by, if it ever comes to fruition, making it a legal requirement.
Whilst it does sound like an interesting proposal, it does beg the question of what stops the banned individual popping up again on one of the many, many, many competing ISPs? Would the ISPs share ban data with each other?
Recently, the EU sided with the ISPs by refusing copyright holders the blanket right to obtain details of those downloading material illegally. Basically, this means that members of the EU aren’t compelled to hand over details at the drop of a hat. Not that they wouldn’t, of course, if they so wanted.
With the whole file-sharing issue being more a civil crime than a criminal one, it looks like it’s going to convince the public that downloading songs and movies is wrong. Is it likely to work out? or is piracy just something that the big companies will just have a “write off”? Is there a difference between the “casual pirate” and those that download to sell/trade/share?
Personally, I have no doubt that no matter what the industry puts into place piracy will still continue. Whilst companies have to make money, there will always be people unwilling to pay. Even with DVDs costing a few pounds now (in the many sales and offers), I still ended up in a conversation where the gist was “It’s still four quid or free.”
UPDATED 16 February - I have now changed the spelling of “jist” to “gist” - which is the correct spelling of the word. I feel suitably ashamed and appreciate the sarcasm (at least I hope it was) of the individual who thinks I shouldn’t be writing a column due to this fact. Thank you.
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Loading ...Comment by Fred - February 16, 2008 on 1:46 am
You shouldn’t be writing a column if you can’t spell “gist”.
Comment by Mike Skuse - February 17, 2008 on 8:05 pm
My opinion on this issue is that companies manage to function with pirate copies of stuff (that’s right, I’ll call it ’stuff’) being distributed everywhere very well, they make a lot of profit and whilst I know it isnt the point of these schemes and plans to get their money back but I dont think that it should be taken into account. Pirating has been going on for a long time and will continue to do so, theres not really a lot that anyone can do about it. However I do agree that it is wrong and shouldn’t be done - it could be affecting charts and sales figures (think about it - if people downloading were to be counted for the charts and sales figures then the number one spot may not be taken by whoever it is)
Boy I hope that make more sense to the reader than it did to me!
Comment by Sharon Jackson - February 23, 2008 on 12:53 pm
So you’re banned if you are accused of file sharing. ISPs can get fined if they allow people to file share. What’s next? Ban bloggers who criticise the government policies (oops, bye bye).
ISPs, like musicians, video games designers/publishers, film-makers etc, should not be held responsible for how a person uses their product or service. What a person does is their responsibility and theirs alone.
I personally do not download music etc. Never have. Much prefer to have a physical product in my hands. But I can understand how people are getting fed up of the profits being raked in - by the companies not the artistes in a lot of cases - and want to bypass having to spend their hard earned money lining the pocket of some executive suit.
Of course, piracy on a grand scale is a different matter.
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