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UK Government will not legislate on piracy

Published on 28th January 2009 by Joe Martin

UK Intellectual Property Minister David Lammy says that piracy legislation would be too complex to enforce.

The UK's Intellectual Property Minister David Lammy has said that he will not advise the government to force ISPs to pursue file-sharers despite mounting pressure from the music and games industry to crack down on piracy.

While other countries like France have teamed with ISPs and industry groups to crack down on file-sharers and pirates, Mr Lammy believes that using similar legislation in the UK would be "too complex", the BBC reports today.

"We can't have a system where we're talking about arresting teenagers in their bedrooms," said Mr Lammy in an interview with The Times.

Much of the rising pressure on anti-piracy legislation is reported to be coming from the British Phonographic Industry, which wants a three-strikes policy enforced against file-sharers, with persistent offenders being thrown off of their ISP.

When the policy was first suggested though only Virgin Media seemed keen to get on-board with the project and many ISPs moved away from the idea totally.

Lord Carter is currently in the middle of compiling a report about 'Digital Britain' which is expected to go over similar lines and suggest how to combat file-sharers without using strict legislation. The report is expected to be out by the end of the month.

Do you use file-sharing networks? Which ISP are you signed up to? Have you been contacted by law firms like Davenport Lyons over accusations of videogame piracy? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

16 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

LeMaltor 28th January 2009, 11:03

Was on the news over the weekend that the Isle of Man will charge a flat fee and you can download all the music you want, the money goes to the music industry, seems like a good idea to me.

http://www.geek.com/articles/music/the-isle-of-man-may-introduce-file-sharing-monthly-fee-20090121/

Bauul 28th January 2009, 11:13

I bet if ISPs increased monthly data supsciption fees by £5, and gave their users access to infinite music in the process, the music industry would overall make an aboluste killing in the process. A single user (like me, who on 2008 spent a total of £0 on music) would suddenly be spending £60 and wouldn't bat an eyelid.

steveo_mcg 28th January 2009, 11:19

I discussed this with another forumite in the davenport lyons thread, but basically i disagree with a flat rate on all bb but perhaps a fee could be an optional extra people could choose to add on top with the proceeds going to the music and film industry. The only problem would be once i started to pay that fee I would download an awful lot of music and movies and buy virtually nothing and as it i down load virtually nothing and buy very little.

I'm glad they dropped this idea, the isp moves must have been satisfactory either that or there is worse things going on at the moment to care.

Actually i think it might be the latter.

Whalemeister 28th January 2009, 11:32

LMAO; I read "British Phonographic Industry" as British Pornographic Industry...

Show's where my mind's at ;)

p3n 28th January 2009, 11:35

The * industry still won't take a hint that piracy is still fueled by the retarded prices and/or geographical launches. Then again I do occasionally splash out on some bluray films because they are an awesome spectical, the price stops it becoming anywhere near a 'hobby' (like TV episodes I download on the US schedule).

Trefarm 28th January 2009, 11:52

It may only be a brief respite.... but Labour are taking a beating in the polls... I wouldn't have thought they'd be legislating to penalise people who might vote for them?
Besides with the upcoming Communications Bill they don't need to.... every time you hit up TPB it'll be recorded.

naokaji 28th January 2009, 12:09

Copyright violations are allready covered by current laws, so there wasn't any need to change it, just give the police enough ressources to actually enforce the current laws.

leexgx 28th January 2009, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bauul
I bet if ISPs increased monthly data supsciption fees by £5, and gave their users access to infinite music in the process, the music industry would overall make an aboluste killing in the process. A single user (like me, who on 2008 spent a total of £0 on music) would suddenly be spending £60 and wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Virgin was about to do it but they was going to get sued by basicly every music company so thay pulled it (was going live in an month or two as well)

steveo_mcg 28th January 2009, 13:20

You got a source for that, i'd be interested in reading what they were planning. Its just typical of the music industry cutting of its nose to spite its face.

DXR_13KE 28th January 2009, 13:25

Quote:

"We can't have a system where we're talking about arresting teenagers in their bedrooms,"

translation:

Quote:

we don't want to lose votes from the future generations

OnyxLilninja 28th January 2009, 14:07

I want my money to go to the musicians, not some fat corporate marketing leech constructing the next Pussycat Dolls, or spending millions persuading me to buy a Robbie Williams CD. If they can guarantee the money would go into the musicians pocket I would be more than happy to pay a flat rate for unlimited non-DRM music. If they can't I will continue to pay nothing for unlimited non-DRM music, supporting the artists by seeing them play live.

delriogw 28th January 2009, 18:01

personally i still like to have physical media, like a real game disc, or real cd, but equally (spore is a brilliant example) i am very disinclined to spend what very little money i have on duds.

so i use downloading as a way to sample albums, or try out games that refuse to release a demo, if i like the product i'll go out and buy it. if i don't like it, it's deleted from my computer never to be seen again.

i'm sure i can't be the only one using the system this way.

Ending Credits 28th January 2009, 20:14

Quote:

LMAO; I read "British Phonographic Industry" as British Pornographic Industry...

It's phonographic?

Pornographic would have made more sense.

quack 28th January 2009, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by naokaji
Copyright violations are allready covered by current laws, so there wasn't any need to change it, just give the police enough ressources to actually enforce the current laws.

Or let's not, since copyright should be a civil matter and not criminal.

Mentai 29th January 2009, 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by DXR_13KE
Quote:
"We can't have a system where we're talking about arresting teenagers in their bedrooms,"

translation:

Quote:
we don't want to lose votes from the future generations

Or he may just realise the stupidity of having a large proportion of Britain's future generation being incarcerated/hugely indebted to corporations (which frankly don't need anymore money).

scawp 8th April 2010, 12:56

DEBill Fail