With the publication of the digital economy bill on Friday, we have taken a look at the recent proposals from a broadband perspective and spoken to our members.
When Lord Mandelson originally announced the intention to progress a three strikes plan to work against file-sharing in the UK, it understandably sparked a lot of debate.
The main concern we've heard is that it's open to errors, with the risk that innocent customers could be penalised. Broadband routers can be hacked, shared houses are impossible to manage, and businesses that offer internet (cafes, for example) would find the time or cost burden unworkable. We've not heard many facts about the appeal process, so can only guess at the impact this would have on customers, businesses and our customer service team.
There's also a wider question about what constitutes file sharing. The act of sharing a file can be done via so many methods, so which of these would be included and which wouldn't? Email, FTP, newsgroups, BitTorrent, instant messaging and online digital storage (Mandelson’s ‘cyberlockers’) are the most well-known but more will emerge. There seems to be a lack of technical understanding about what file sharing actually is, because most of these systems couldn't be monitored.
We prefer a future that benefits from technology advances rather than trying to shut it down. We think the smart people in modern creative industries are the ones that are adapting to the new world. Rather than building big, expensive software that people can't afford, more people are making apps that cost little but offer great value and offer updates that illegal software can't. There are examples in other industries too, like music with legal downloads and streaming, or legal movie rental services through PCs and games consoles.
Our members have never asked us to police their service, and sadly don't have enough information to believe this system can work.
20 November 2009
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15 comments:
Not a lot of information here on how it'll affect your customers.
@intranation thanks for commenting. We didn't describe the bill in detail because there's lots of news sites doing that (search for 'digital economy bill'). Some of our members might not have seen it all, though, so we'll look to add a summary of what it means to them.
BE should be strongly against Mandelson's terrible digial economy bill.
Be and other ISP should for a lobby group, get in touch with TalkTalk etc, then get customers to write to their MP's and for customers to make sure they sign the "dontdiconnectus" petition on the 10 Downing street website.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/dontdisconnectus/
- Signed.
It's frightening that an unelected politician, clearly technically ignorant, can be so easily influenced by Big Media.
The whole world is now looking at the UK in disbelief.
this law is daft.in my house at any one time of day there is normaly someone streaming sky on an xbox, watching BBC i player or online gaming.thats why we have an unlimited package.it is all legitimate. we all need to sign that online petition!!
yea sign the petition tell ur friends paste the address on ur facebook anything... we need the goverment to face up to the fact no one wants this law
dont use bittorrent. if you do, use a VPN. now you cant be caught and this is wasting everyones time
a few more months and these ignorant politicians will be replaced... by equally (oh, don't go there!)
This bill is a just more bad legislation from a government that is so out of touch, it might as well be governing the moon.
It'll never work.
One word for y'all: 'Peerblock'
http://www.peerblock.com
Mandelson? Pah!
Unfortunately Peerblock only works after the fact (ip addresses blocked that are known anti p2p addresses are sometimes only added after the fact). I applaud Bethere's stance on this matter as I for one have never agreed with purchasing something only to be told that I can't share it with a friend. I understand the monetary concerns that these anti p2p'ers have but they must find an alternate solution other than suppressing peoples ability to do with their own goods what they want after purchase. This bill is an infringement of peoples freedom and if it goes ahead I can see the stormtroopers coming kicking in the shop door just as soon as I pay over the counter in the future as my friend looked at the cover of my CD (tongue in cheek). I salute you and your commitment to your customers!
Most 'illegal' P2P downloads are because big company names are only interested in the corporate sector and discriminate against home users and students and similar. Given the options of say £400 for certain software or £100 for a badly limited version of course the majority of people turn elsewhere.
This is the real issue. The big devs have had a stranglehold on the market for years and dont want to let go. But one way or another they will have to.
The majority of my software is now from independent small developers with reasonable prices. But I'm very net savvy and most people have yet to realise there are alternatives or else need specific software because their company or school use it. The whole thing is just a seriosuly out of touch money making, criminalising excrcise and plain daft.
If it goes ahead it will stop nothing, you can't stop a starving man trying to steal food and like it or not, the internet, computers and the software that drives them are becoming as essential as a roof over your heads. Or have you tried to get a job without net access, a good wordprocessor and printer lately??
Oh and as for films and media over P2P: It's a recession. People aren't all born thieves, they are just short on cash, short on jobs, short on happiness and stuck at home feeling depressed. What do you expect?
If the government wants more spending in this sector they need to sort out the mess they have created so we all have surplus cash and better incomes, not attack the people they are supposed to protect!
Governments supposed to protect people NOT companies.
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