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Virgin Media to tackle illegal downloads
(31-03-08) - Virgin Media looks set to become the first UK broadband provider to publicly share responsibility for illegal content downloaded over its network, it has been reported.
Virgin Media's (www.VirginMedia.com) plan is similar to the “three strikes” approach suggested by the music industry’s trade body, the British Phonograph Industry (BPI), where offenders will receive warnings before possibly being disconnected from the internet all together, said The Telegraph.
Illegal downloads cost the music and film industries billions of pounds in lost sales with an estimated six million people illegally downloading files every year.
But despite two years of negotiations between the music industry and ISPs, as well as Government threats to force legislation by next April, Virgin Media is the only ISP so far to announce measures to curb illegal downloads.
A spokesman for the company told The Telegraph: “We have been in discussions with rights holders’ organisations about how a voluntary scheme could work. We are taking this problem seriously and would favour a sensible voluntary solution.”
The BPI will trace illegal music downloading to individual accounts and then hand the account numbers over to Virgin Media, which will match them to names and addresses and issue warnings, suspensions and eventually complete disconnection said the paper.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “Virgin Media has made a bold decision but unless an industry-wide agreement can be reached, illegal downloaders will simply switch from Virgin Media to other ISPs with no such policy once they start receiving written warnings.” he said.
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