Anti-piracy monitor required for the UK, bill passed

29th March, 2010 by adina
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The British House of Lords has recently passed a bill, which, if it becomes law, would require all Internet Service Providers to make reports concerning suspect file sharers and copyright violators to both copyright holders and the OFCOM (United Kingdom’s Office of Communications). The Digital Economy Bill will be in concordance with the European Commission’s way of treating copyright violations. OFCOM would have to make a decision regarding the obligations of ISPs versus their customers suspected of infringing copyrights.

Details of the way ISPs have to monitor subscribers, when they have to report their actions, how long information has to be kept, what actions have to be taken with the data are responsibilities the OFCOM has to take. ISPs would in no case be responsible for their customers’ actions if they implement technical measures to penalize the offending subscribers. These ones would have their speed or other services limited, would see certain protocols or sites blocked and would even be fully suspended in extreme cases.

There are some weak points in the text of the bill, such as its ambiguity which does not require subscribers to be proven guilty of the charges. Other critics observe that the law makes no difference between an account, an entire household or certain individuals, which is not fair enough.

The bill has to go to the House of Commons where it is expected to be vehemently contested, as liberal leaders have already spoken against it, outlining that penalizing users without even proving their guilt would contradict the European Union’s Technical Standards directive.


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