Posted in Other - Internet on July 17th, 2010 by admin
While UK ISP’s and music rights holders argue over who should bear the cost of illegal peer-to-peer filesharing, PRS for Music has published a paper calling for a piracy tax on UK broadband providers which will fine them based on the amount of illegal music downloads they allow on their network.
PRS is hoping that by introducing this fine against ISP’s, illegal filesharing through broadband networks will end forever. The Digital Economy Act has already stated that illegal filesharing is a problem that needs to be measured, and since the technology is already available that can accurately track users who download files via peer-to-peer networks, PRS thinks that piracy levies are the next logical step in the process.
The PRS for Music report, “Moving Digital Britain Forward Without Leaving Creative Britain Behind”, claims to offer an economic framework for use in structuring a sensible resolution to the problem. Any money raised via fines would be paid to the state or to the rights holders. This amount would be entirely dependent on filesharing traffic over the ISP networks.
Once the two industries stop arguing, it looks likely that file sharers will soon be subject to prohibitive fines.