Digital Economy Act progresses through Parliament
The government has progressed its planned clampdown on illegal downloading by bringing legislation before Parliament today that will finalise the cost split of implementing the scheme between rights holders and internet service providers.
This would see hand rights holders a 75% share of the costs with ISPs footing the tab for the remaining 25%.
Passed in April last year the Act proposes to issue warning letters to filesharers, threatening the suspension of repeat offender’s internet connections.
Ed Vaizey, the government’s communications minister, is responsible for bringing the Act into force. He said: “We are introducing a system of mass notification to warn people about the unlawfulness of copyright infringement, explain the harm it does and point them toward legitimate content.”
Up to seven and a half million internet users regularly illegally download music, costing the industry around £400m in lost sales each year.
Any “mass notification” is not expected until early next year when Ofcom publishes its code of practice and the Act passes through several outstanding legislative hoops.