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Net firms in music pirates deal | Net firms in music pirates deal |
(40 minutes later) | |
Six of the UK's biggest net providers have agreed a plan with the music industry to tackle piracy online. | Six of the UK's biggest net providers have agreed a plan with the music industry to tackle piracy online. |
The deal, negotiated by the government, will see hundreds of thousands of letters sent to net users suspected of illegally sharing music. | The deal, negotiated by the government, will see hundreds of thousands of letters sent to net users suspected of illegally sharing music. |
But the music industry wants people's internet cut off if they ignore repeated warnings, something the web firms say they are not prepared to do. | But the music industry wants people's internet cut off if they ignore repeated warnings, something the web firms say they are not prepared to do. |
The six firms are due to be named when the deal is officially confirmed later. | The six firms are due to be named when the deal is officially confirmed later. |
Feargal Sharkey, chief executive of British Music Rights, said the plan was "a first step, and a very big step, in what we all acknowledge is going to be quite a long process". | |
The plan commits the firms to working towards a "significant reduction" in the illegal sharing of music. | The plan commits the firms to working towards a "significant reduction" in the illegal sharing of music. |
It also commits the net firms to develop legal music services, the BBC has been told. | It also commits the net firms to develop legal music services, the BBC has been told. |
Letters to pirates | Letters to pirates |
The six firms are understood to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding drawn up by the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR). | The six firms are understood to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding drawn up by the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR). |
class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAYWhy should I yet again pay for, say, the Beatles' White Album at full whack? I already bought it on LP, eight-track, cassette, and CD! This is those customers getting their own backMark, Hampshire class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5148&edition=1&ttl=20080724053700">Send us your comments | |
The BBC has been told the firms have agreed to ensure their customers know it is illegal to share copyrighted music. | |
It is believed that the memorandum also requires net firms to go further in their attempts to tackle illegal file-sharing. | It is believed that the memorandum also requires net firms to go further in their attempts to tackle illegal file-sharing. |
At the same time the government is also expected to start a consultation exercise that could result in laws that force net firms to tackle music piracy. | At the same time the government is also expected to start a consultation exercise that could result in laws that force net firms to tackle music piracy. |
In the past few weeks net firms Virgin and BT have sent letters to some customers identified by the BPI, which represents the UK record industry, as persistent music pirates. | In the past few weeks net firms Virgin and BT have sent letters to some customers identified by the BPI, which represents the UK record industry, as persistent music pirates. |
'Long process' | |
Before now the BPI has called for a "three-strikes" system which would see net connections of persistent pirates terminated if three warnings went ignored. | Before now the BPI has called for a "three-strikes" system which would see net connections of persistent pirates terminated if three warnings went ignored. |
Many net firms have resisted the call from the BPI and have said it is not their job to act as policemen. | |
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme Mr Sharkey, formerly lead singer with The Undertones added: "Government, particularly in the UK, has now realised there is an issue, there is a problem there." | |
One BBC News website user Mark, from Hampshire, said he downloaded and shared files illegally and argued customers were "getting their own back". | |
In an e-mail, he said: "I used to run half a dozen record shops in the 80s and saw how far the fat cats of the record industry would go, in milking customers and retailers dry with more hyped rubbish." | |
"Why should I yet again pay for, say, the Beatles' White Album at full whack? I already bought it on LP, eight-track, cassette, and CD! This is those customers getting their own back." | |
"So will this make me sharing a CD with my next-door neighbour over the fence illegal?" he added. |