Action call over illegal downloads

By Ben Hurst on May 13, 09 09:05 AM

Unions and businesses from the creative industries called for Government action today to require internet service providers (ISPs) to issue sanctions against customers who repeatedly download illegal content.

The London conference, called the Future of the Creative Economy, was led jointly by the UK Film Council and the Federation of Entertainment Unions, and hosted by Bafta.

It culminated in the launch of a set of recommendations to Government on a system for tackling the "damage" caused to the UK economy by illegal file-sharing.

The coalition called for the Government to require ISPs to use their direct relationship with their consumers to send notices to those customers who illegally file share and to introduce sanctions for those who ignore such notices and repeatedly download illegal content.

The recommendations included the statement: "We support early indications of Government's thinking that call on ISPs to send warning notices to offenders as a first stage of tackling the problem.

"We strongly recommend an additional option whereby, where multiple educational warnings are ignored by consumers, a graduated series of technical solutions are used which prevent further illegal activity, with a clear appeals process in place to protect consumers."

John Woodward, chief executive of the UK Film Council said: "We have every reason to be proud of our creative industries.

"They act as a beacon for direct inward investment into the UK, they produce content that wins international recognition, they underpin many hundreds of thousands of jobs and they bring entertainment and enjoyment to individuals and families across the world.

"The growing threat of illegal P2P file-sharing threatens all of this, as films go unmade, DVD sales deteriorate and jobs are lost in production and distribution of content."

The call comes as Government finalises its Digital Britain report, expected to be released next month by Communications Minister Lord Carter.

Christine Payne, general secretary of the Federation of Entertainment Unions and of Equity said: "As a key part of the Digital Britain strategy the UK Government has the opportunity to take action now to address piracy which will protect the 800,000 jobs in, and dependent upon, the creative industries in the UK.

"ISPs also have a crucial role to play in removing the threat to people's livelihoods and so they should play their part in addressing the levels of piracy that threaten these jobs so that in the future they can continue to benefit from the availability of a continual flow of new content."

A statement from the Featured Artists Coalition in response to the proposals said: "We do not believe that music fans or other consumers should be criminalised for file sharing.
"The technology and the kids are way ahead of old industry here and it's time for business models to change.

"Consumers are not pirates... The Internet Service Providers can help the content owners by working together to develop new models and new ways of creating value for the consumer - not by trying to close them down.

"Let's not turn Digital Britain into Fortress Britain.

"If we drive young people underground into encrypted networks and 'darknets' we risk exposing them to far more malicious materials than downloading some free music - which they may well end up paying for in lots of different ways anyway."