Lord Mandelson sets date for blocking filesharers' internet connections

[Park Life 71]

Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, warned internet users today that the days of "consequence-free" illegal filesharing are over as he unveiled the government's plan for cracking down on online piracy.

 

Mandelson, speaking at the government's digital creative industries conference, C&binet, confirmed that the internet connections of persistent offenders could be blocked – but only as a last resort – from the summer of 2011.

 

He added that a "legislate and enforce" strategy was the only way to protect the intellectual property rights of content producers.

 

The strategy, which will be officially set out in the government's digital economy bill in late November, will involve a staged process of warning notifications with internet suspension as a last resort.

 

"It must become clear that the days of consequence-free widespread online infringement are over," Mandelson said. "Technical measures will be a last resort and I have no expectation of mass suspensions resulting."

 

The legislation is expected to come into force in April next year.

 

The effectiveness of the warning letters to persistent illegal filesharers will be monitored for the first 12 months. If illegal filesharing has not dropped by 70% by April 2011, then cutting off people's internet connections could be introduced three months later, from the summer of that year.

 

"If we reach the point of suspension for an individual, they will be informed in advance, having previously received two notifications – and will have the opportunity to appeal," Mandelson added. "The British government's view is that taking people's work without due payment is wrong and that, as an economy based on creativity, we cannot sit back and do nothing as this happens."

 

 

Hasn't he got anything better to do?

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Good luck with that peter, you horrible slimy shit.

[Happy Face 29]

On a related note, anyone been following the net neutrailty debate in the US?

 

The battle over net neutrality flared up again in the US on Thursday as opponents and supporters exchanged proposals and rhetoric.

 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that it will move forward with efforts to enforce neutrality rules on the web, and prevent telcos from deliberately throttling traffic based on a user's application or destination.

 

AdvertisementFCC chairman Julius Genachowski said that the laws are necessary to keep the internet free and open, and to ensure that smaller web sites and services are given a fair chance to succeed in an open market.

 

"The internet's openness has allowed entrepreneurs and innovators, small and large, to create countless applications and services without having to seek permission from anyone," said Genachowski.

 

"As a result, internet pioneers with little more than a good idea and a no-frills internet connection have built hundreds of thousands of small businesses as well as web giants."

 

Opponents of the initiative have also stepped up their efforts. Senator John McCain has issued new legislation to prevent the FCC from addressing net neutrality, and criticised the FCC's efforts in an editorial for The Washington Times on Thursday.

 

"These new rules should rightly be viewed by consumers suspiciously as another government power grab over a private service provided by private companies in a competitive marketplace," wrote McCain.

 

"This government takeover of the internet will stifle innovation, which will in turn hinder job creation."

 

Regulators in the European Union are also struggling with the issue. Earlier in the day the European Parliament voted to weaken its legislation on net neutrality and allow telcos greater control over how traffic can be managed.

 

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2251853/net-ne...ity-fight-heats

 

The Federal Communications Commission's decision last week to begin developing open Internet regulation has left a few big-time political donors and lobbying forces within the telecom industry wondering whether their message got lost in transmission.

 

Companies such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast have been arguing for years against regulation that would prohibit them from restricting access to Internet content, applications and services, according to The Hill. These companies say "they need to manage Internet traffic to keep services running smoothly to all subscribers," the newspaper reports. The FCC's unanimous decision about so-called net neutrality rules marks a loss for these telecoms in the first part of this battle. It's a victory, however, for Internet application companies such as Google, Facebook and Skype.

 

The next line of defense for telecoms will be Congress, where the companies may find some friendlier faces among the bunch. Since the start of the 2008 election cycle, telephone utility companies have given $12.7 million to federal candidates and party committees and spent $118.7 million on lobbying. Current lawmakers have collected $37.9 million from the industry, with Republicans collecting 51 percent of that.

 

The computer and Internet industry has spent even more money politicking and has leaned a little more heavily toward Democrats, giving current members of that party 60 percent of their nearly $50 million in total contributions. The industry has also spent $331.4 million on lobbying since 2007.

 

As the top all-time donor to federal politics, AT&T may have an especially strong standing on Capitol Hill. The company's employees and political action committee have given $22.6 million since 1989 to current lawmakers through their candidate committees and leadership PACs, with 52 percent of that going to Republicans.

 

Verizon, too, is considered a "Heavy Hitter" for its extensive contributions over the years to federal political candidates. Current lawmakers have collected $9.2 million from Verizon's employees and political action committee since 1989, with Democrats receiving 51 percent of that.

 

Compare that to Google and Facebook, and Skype's parent company, eBay. Together these three have contributed just $1.5 million to current lawmakers during the past two decades. The Internet application companies say that "an unfettered network is necessary to encourage innovation," according to CNN,com.

 

And while Comcast, AT&T and Verizon have together spent nearly $120 million on lobbying expenditures since the start of 2007, Google, Facebook and eBay have spent a small fraction of that, at about $13 million. "Staffers at the FCC and on Capitol Hill say AT&T has been the most aggressive company in the lobbying battle," The Hill reported.

 

AT&T helped craft a letter from more than 70 House Democrats to the FCC about their concerns surrounding net neutrality regulations. And in the hours before the FCC announced its decision, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) proposed a bill that would stop the commission from having that regulatory power over the Internet.

 

McCain said his bill will "keep the Internet free from government control and regulation," according to Reuters. "It will allow for continued innovation that will in turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work or seeking new employment. Keeping businesses free from oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy."

 

No current member of Congress has received more money from AT&T, Verizon, telephone utility companies or telecom services and equipment companies than McCain. Together, AT&T and Verizon have contributed $733,450 to the senator (including for his 2008 presidential campaign) since 1989, while the industries have given him a combined $1.9 million in that time.

 

Two lawmakers, Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), have been garnering support for the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, a bill they introduced a bill in support of net neutrality that would "assess and promote Internet freedom for consumers and content providers."

 

Markey has collected $370,000 from telephone utility companies, which is more than all but seven current members of Congress and $280,250 from the computer and Internet industry.

 

Eshoo, on the other hand, is No. 82 on the list of recipients of cash from telephone utility companies at $129,500. She's brought in $682,200 from the computer and Internet industry, however, which is more than all other current members of the U.S House of Representatives but two.

 

AT&T and Comcast won't find a friend in the administration, either.

 

According to The Hill story, "President Barack Obama made open-Internet rules the top priority on his technology agenda." Obama collected $580,400 from telephone utility companies in the 2008 presidential cycle -- more than any other candidate -- and $8.5 million from the computer and Internet industry, which was one of his top 20 donating industries.

 

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/10/th...ations-com.html

 

Love how they frame regulation and government control as a bad thing when it's purpose will be top MAINTAIN neutrality. AT&T et al want to be able to improve delivery of certain sites and restrict delivery of others, effectively censoring the web, and claim regulating so that they can't is a breach of their freedom.

 

Edited October 29, 2009 by Happy Face

[Park Life 71]

They hate the free exchange of ideas and tricks.

[Andrew 4969]

But...can they stop me using torrents?

[ChezGiven 0]

alt.binaries ftw

[NJS 4446]

I think SSL enabled Usenet downloads are pretty anonymous as it is. Now that there is a "deadline" target I'd imagine people will be coming up with new ways in the next 2 years to make this only applicable to real amateurs.

[ChezGiven 0]

Some interesting arguments on thecynicalmusician.com about the impact of free music on the music industry. Am sure not everyone will agree with then.

 

As NJS says if you are worried then join a newsgroup, download a newsreader and away you go. Loads of nzb sites out there.