UK Internet Users Could be Banned for Illegal Downloads

[Jimmy 2004]

No doubt this news will be met with ferocious attacks from the generally public, but it looks like internet users in the UK could soon see themselves banned from the internet for illegal film and music downloads if new government proposals are approved. Internet service providers will be legally required to enforce a "three-strikes" system - strike one means an email from the ISP, strike two means a suspension and strike three a ban. Under the proposals ISPs would be prosecuted for failing to enforce the new rules and suspected customers details could be made available to the courts. The government is yet to decide whether information on offenders will be shared between ISPs, but if so it could make it much more difficult to find a new ISP once you have been banned. This move comes as a result of six million UK broadband users downloading files illegally each year, with the proposals being officially unveiled next week.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Jimmy 2004]

Thanks to FreedomEclipse for emailing this in.

 

[lemonadesoda]

This sounds like knee-jerk legislation that's just asking to go wrong.

How can such a system be managed? There is no way some "person" is going to go and look at what an individuals activity has been... it will be an automated system.... which is bound to make mistakes.

Telcos/ISP have notoriously terrible service.... just imagine getting such a "warning", or indeed a suspension, and not being able to get it remedied, wasting HOURS in pay-per.minute phone lines to speak to someone with no authority to fix it. It took me 3 YEARS, yes, three years, for my telco just to fix a spelling mistake on the account name.

I really hate this ill-thought out govt. legislation.

 

[DanielF50]

/start rant

What the government doesnt get, we dont want to pay your wages!, all of our CD's/DVD's/Blu ray/HDDVD / ANYTHING IN ENGLAND is way to expensive, they even have to add 17.5% VAT onto everything just so they make some profit on all this stuff....

This is probably why most people cannot be ****ed to go out and buy a DVD, it costs way to much...

Why dont they just remove the VAT, remove DRM from everything, Allow us to RIP cd's to our "portable devices" (The bullet CD i recently bought said it "allows" copying to portable devices, most say that they do not) and stop being greedy twats.

Its just another way to make people go out and buy DVD's etc, so they can make profit...

Im begining to think I should move to America or Canada...

/end of rant.

Daniel

 

[oli_ramsay]

WTF? They think can can start policing the internet? If they banned evry1 who downloaded illegal shit, there would be a lot less people on the internet, i.e. a lot less money for the ISPs.

I REALLY hope this doesn't come into action cos we would all be buggered.

 

[jocksteeluk]

Trust me this is against our human rights and i will be joining the soon to be announced class action lawsuits against it.

 

[craigwhiteside]

i am with you guys all the way, if they are going to do it.. then petition time

 

[Jimmy 2004]

WTF? They think can can start policing the internet? If they banned evry1 who downloaded illegal shit, there would be a lot less people on the internet, i.e. a lot less money for the ISPs.

More importantly it would take the entire UK economy a step backwards if 6 million people were to get banned...

 

[craigwhiteside]

yep, it would make many online businesses go bankrupt too

 

[DaMulta]

I guess we might not be talking to some of our UK friends around these parts soon.

 

[craigwhiteside]

ill probably be the first to get banned xD..

but i have around 5 wireless networks i can freely connect to

guess they will get banned too

 

[Silverel]

Not to mention any net cafe's, libraries, hell even buisnesses. How much does it cost to rent 30 minutes of time? I'd be willing to be you could make up that money in illegal downloads 10-fold.

I love the wireless access idea. Drive around til you get signal, take what you want, leave the legitimate users with the penalties. Bah. Stupid stupid stupid law to try and put into effect.

 

[oily_17]

Just saw this on the evening news -but really cant see this working,where are the millions of pounds coming from to implement this -just another turn of the screw by Big Brother.

 

[Exceededgoku]

I can't wait for this to be implemented, hoping it will draw attention to the rest of the crap that our government imposes. Democracy my ass...

 

[moto666]

Idiots!
I hope they can't do it!
Or the masses will rise and blast this shit away!
"Live for nothing, or die for something! Your Call" (John Rambo)

 

[Darknova]

And how do exactly do they intend to tell who does and doesn't? packet sniffing? (privacy violation) size of packets? (totally inept) making us install software that checks and reports back?

Well, all that's need is encryption via whichever download client you use and this falls flat on it's face. They can't force you not to use encryption because that would violate your right to privacy.

Heheh, idiots.

 

[SK-1]

That just outright sux, but if this had been in the U.S., I am SURE we already would have had the typical
"gust goes to show you how STUPID Americans are" or " look how small minded those damn Americans are" responses on the board by now.

 

[Silverel]

Guilty conscience?

 

[mdm-adph]

/start rant

...

Im begining to think I should move to America or Canada...

/end of rant.

Daniel

Well, if you're white, male, aged 18-45, Protestant, have a sizable amount of disposable income, and like constant jingoistic patriotism bombarding you from every direction, then sure -- come on over.

Otherwise, you're probably better off, trust me.

 

[asb2106]

I hope this never makes it, if it does I can see it makin its way over the water real soon!

 

[Kreij]

Well, if you're white, male, aged 18-45, Protestant, have a sizable amount of disposable income, and like constant jingoistic patriotism bombarding you from every direction, then sure -- come on over.

Or, if you have no problem living in the rural areas where the cost of living is easily maintained, like to be able to own guns and actually use them in self defense without being labelled a criminal, be able to just about anything you want on your own property, then come on over.

Your call.

 

[Kreij]

Trust me this is against our human rights and i will be joining the soon to be announced class action lawsuits against it.

I'm not sure where you are from, but I have never seen a country declare the ability to download anything you want as a "human right".

I am not for this kind of police action on the internet, but to declare it as a human right is a bit of a stretch.

 

[OnBoard]

I'm sure some offshore ISP would be interested to take those 6 milion users Don't just know would it be possible, who owns the phone lines and would they allow them to be rented.

"Six million broadband users are estimated to download files illegally every year in this country in a practice that music and film companies claim is costing them billions of pounds in lost revenue annually."

Those claims are always as funny. People wouldn't buy everything they download, even if it was almost free (which is not even close). Some people have so many MP3's that it would take then months to listen straight through without any sleep. Surely everyone who owns 1000 albums in MP3's would go and fill their wall instantly, not eat or pay bills.

Those numbers are only true if stuff is free and even that would make it less appealing and again the numbers lie. Didn't RIAA want something like $100,000 for one song in some recent news, when the real worth is $1. That's the same as I'd say 'I'm the greatest lover of all time' and still lying less

 

[surfsk8snow.jah]

Record companies, and the governments they are pressuring, are just getting desperate. Wasn't there a news article about how one German company recently said, "Eff this, you guys can just have our stuff," and uploaded everything onto Pirate Bay?

There either has to be ridiculously dramatic action like this, which is unjust, stupid, short-sighted, and ill-conceived, or they just have to throw their hands up in the air.

Put em up! haha

 

[das müffin mann]

I hope this never makes it, if it does I can see it makin its way over the water real soon!

i have to agree with you if britain does it, how long would it take for the other powers to follow suit, except russia, i cant see them doign this anytime soon

asb ive never noticed your from wisconsin