The end is near for illegal filesharing (UK)

**Badass01** · 02-12-2008, 12:52 PM

Well, it was good while it lasted.

New laws coming in will mean that ISPs will give 2 warnings to customers downloading illegal material, and the third warning sees their Internet connection cut off.

So, is this the end for downloading illegal movies, music, etc., in the UK. If the law goes ahead, then I think it certainly is.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/...cle3353387.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7240234.stm

**Wizard_Mon1** · 02-12-2008, 01:41 PM

Get a grip man! You really think it is that easy? If it was then they would have done it ages ago....

There are loads of issues with this, the data protection act, how they will differ between legal and illegal downloads, how they will find out who is downloading - existing methods of sharing fake files and tracking ips or forcing ISPs to give over info on high bandwidth users??

"Some of the UK's biggest internet providers, such as BT, Virgin and Tiscali have been in talks with the entertainment industry over introducing a voluntary scheme for policing pirate activity, but no agreement has been reached."

Key words are talks and voluntary and last statement makes it all a bit clearer.

So far, they have failed to resolve how disputed allegations would be arbitrated - for example, when customers claim other people have been "piggybacking" on their internet service.

'No liability'

The Internet Service Providers Association said data protection laws would prevent providers from looking at the content of information sent over their networks.

"ISPs are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope," the association said.

"ISPs bear no liability for illegal file sharing as the content is not hosted on their servers," it added.

Basically a watch this space and see what they decide on. Until something is decided i wouldn't start throwing your HDs out of the window.!

**SchiZZo** · 02-12-2008, 03:47 PM

How will they know that you're not downloading legally then? Are they gonna sit and look through hundreds of thousands or even millions of customers what they are downloading, imagine how much that will cost. And correct me if I'm wrong isn't it just to use a dynamic ip, then they got a even bigger problem. Then last but not least, the pirates is always one step ahead, some smart guy/girl will develope a program which will make it possible to safely use filesharing also in the future. Stay positive mate!

**$SnoopDo2G$** · 02-12-2008, 04:01 PM

Same in France, but hey there are European Laws that contradict this shitty stuff...
i've read somewhere that ISP's can't give personal details of their customers and stuff like that...only if there was a Criminal Investigation goin' on, they could give the details... but i seriously doubt that they gonna prosecute millions of people...
the only thing they could do is to fish untill they find a big fish then make an example for other peopz...but hey you gotta be really unlucky to be busted for one or two albums that you dl somewhere...

Be optimistic and see what a great world we got here do far...

**djkemp1** · 02-12-2008, 06:30 PM

would this be the same for people who download from newsgroups? as surely if they have ssl enabled accounts then it isn't possible to see what is being downloaded anyway as its encrypted?

**Alien5** · 02-12-2008, 07:11 PM

Most Bit torrent users also have encryption enabled.

**F3n1x** · 02-12-2008, 07:16 PM

well some new clients like deluge can avoid this measures.

**4play** · 02-12-2008, 07:45 PM

This is unlikely to happen.

1) I am in a contract for 18 months with British Telecom for my broadband. All i need to do to get out of it is download illegal content three times. do you really think they want to lose 18 months of profit from potentially millions of customers.

2)your going to force encrypted networks to become the norm and there is no return from that point for the record associations.

3)how many people use the internet from home for work, lets see the courts try to find a way to remove peoples ability to work. im sure there is some kinda human right law for this one.

4)can they remove the internet from children considering its now become a basic learning tool for a lot of school children.

**djkemp1** · 02-12-2008, 07:53 PM

so does anyone think this law will get passed then?? i just think it sounds ridiculous, how can isps be expected to filter content, how would it be done?

i read on another forum that they thought nothing would change apart from if universal, Warner bros etc see a person D/Ling a film et then they can report it straight back to your isp and then they by law have to issue the '1st strike'

do you think this will be the case or won't it be passed?