Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is reportedly calling for tougher penalties on illegal file-sharers, a move which comes suspiciously soon after dining with record and film executive David Geffen earlier this month.
UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who heads the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and whom ultimately is tasked with implementing the recommendations for dealing with illegal file-sharing as outlined in the Digital Britain report, has reportedly ordered his staff to come up with plans for a crackdown on illegal file-sharers that includes giving ISPs the power to disconnect repeat offenders ala a “three-strikes” graduated response system.
This mean criminalizing the more than 7 million people who reportedly share copyrighted material illegally on a regular basis in the country, and ignoring the report’s suggestion that softer measures, i.e. notifications, which are sufficient enough to “stop or significantly reduce” 70% of illegal file-sharing, be given a chance to work before harsher anti-P2P measures are implemented.
According to the document, Ofcom, the body responsible for regulating ISPs in the UK, would be responsible for keeping tabs on accused file-sharers and handing out fines of up to £50,000 ($81,705 USD), bandwidth throttling, and even disconnection.
This past June, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, head of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the agency formerly tasked with overseeing the Digital Britain report reccomendations, said the UK govt had all but ruled out disconnecting repeat file-sharers from the Internet, that it considered the measure too “draconian.”
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills says that harsher penalties were only being discussed in case notifications alone didn’t help, and that more meetings on the matter are planned.
However, it’s been pointed out that Lord Mandelson wasn’t very concerned with the matter until recently returning from a holiday spent on the Greek Island of Corfu with none other than David Geffen, billionaire record and film producer and vocal anti-P2P critic.
“Until the past week, Mandelson had shown little personal interest in the Digital Britain agenda,” a source at DBIS tells the Daily Mail. “Suddenly Peter returned from holiday and effectively issued this edict that the regulation needs to be tougher.”
How’s that for coincidence?
Lord Mandelson denies that P2P was discussed during their Island stay, but surely it had to come up at some point.
Either way, with the Pirate Party now officially registered in the UK it’s more important than ever that people make their voices heard.
Stay tuned.
jared@zeropaid.com
Related Posts
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- UK Govt: File-Sharers Won’t Be Disconnected “Willy Nilly”
- UK Govt Thinking “Evolves,” Will Disconnect File-Sharers After All
- France Finalizes Plans for Govt ‘Three-Strikes’ Agency
- UK Govt Needs More Time to Reduce P2P
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When will this 3 strikes bullshit end. Seems like every other week, some country is considering a three strike system only to ultimately decide against it. The copyright lobbies ought to have given up by now.
How did this unelected slimeball come back to govnt and become so powerful.. He was fired from govn’t twice before for fraud. He’s the most corrupt MP this country has ever seen and theres little discusion about his authority. Hes the second if not the most powerful man in Britain. I hate the torys but not as much as this guy. Please vote the lib dems in. Please.
Give up? No They won’t been give up anytime soon. They will only make this law to become harsh, then more harsh then much harsh until they think they can roam free and taken total control of the market and people. Then these pro-copyright people may finally sit back and relax while watching us; the tiny little tin can, suffer.
also they think it is better to abuse the law system because it is quick and easy whether than recreate a business model. Also sue more people will attract the media then allow the media to spread their fearsome msg so people will listen.
And what about VPN that would cost around 5-10 GBP or USD….
Is that going to stop it.