Yahoo News:

 

LONDON (AFP) - Internet users in Britain who illegally download films and music face being banned from going online, according to leaked government proposals published in The Times on Tuesday.

 

According to the plans, the government "will move to legislate to require internet service providers to take action on illegal file sharing" which record companies and film companies say is costing them billions of dollars (euros) in lost revenue.

 

The proposals were included in a Green Paper -- the first step to changing a law in Britain -- on the creative industries that is due to be published next week.

 

The Times said that the plans would involve a "three-strikes" regime -- users would first receive an e-mailed warning if they were suspected of illegally downloading films or music.

 

They would then receive a suspension from their Internet service upon their second offence, and face a termination of their Internet contract if they were caught on a third occasion.

 

 

It will not work. Whichever companies have been putting pressure on the government to propose this should be boycotted right now. It's their fault they're in this mess - signing no marks like Robbie Williams for ridiculous amounts etc.

oh lord....

 

tbh i see NO harm in shareing music files where the music can no longer be bought... i mean, why shouldnt i download a long since deleted track from the 60's where sometimes the artist is DEAD?..

But you're dealing with money-grabbing record companies here...

 

I remember a story from a few years ago - there was a guy on eBay selling DVDs of Kate Bush. Bear in mind, those wonderful people at EMI have yet to get their act together and actually release a Kate Bush DVD of any kind. The DVDs this guy was selling were TV appearances, TV specials... things EMI couldn't even sell. He primarily did these for fans - in fact, he sent me the whole set for nothing - and when he sold on eBay, it was merely to cover his costs - hardly, if any, profit.

 

EMI got wind of him on eBay - and, one morning at 7am, he was arrested - the full kaboodle - heavies storming his house, the lot. Every bit of his computer equipment impounded and a long, lengthy, still-unresolved court battle commenced. And to my knowledge, he's yet to recive his equipment back.

 

So when we're talking about record companies - always remember, you're not talking about real people, people who are there for the music, who are music 'fans' as it were - you're talking about nameless, faceless big men in suits who care about as much for you or I as they appear to care for their artists these days (Amy Winehouse's shameful treatment - being pushed out on tour whilst patently incapable, same with Britney Spears and her releasing Blackout and the ghastly TV promo she did for it).

Firstly, such a huge number of people do this, in the UK at least, that to take away their internet after a third time would be ludicrous. Half the bloody country would be internet-less! Also, isn't this the Xth time they've gone on about a 'clampdown' on illegal downloading? Pretty much nothing major has happened as of yet!

I dont like this idea at all :lol:

 

Because I dont have a lot of money to spend on CDs/DVDs, I download stuff so that I can see if I like it first, if I like it, then I'll buy it! You test drive a car before buying it right? Well thats kinda what I do with CDs and DVDs.

I used to buy DVD's all the time, but then when I get home and watch them half of them were $h!te, whereas now I download then first to see if I like them

 

Although I can understand record companies getting pissed off at people who download stuff and then sell it :lol:

This news just makes me want to download music illegally. The record companies are greedy, selfish people, I wouldn't mind so much if the money that was spent on legal music actually went to the artists, but it doesn't.

 

As per usual it's just another scare tactic trying to get everyone to stop downloading illegal. Do the Goverment really think they're gonna be able to stop millions of people downloading illegally with a 'three strike' system? :lol: Yeah right.

When will record companies get the message that the UK wants decently priced, affordable music and film? Not only are CDs and DVDs phenomenally more expensive in the UK than the US... but the price of seeing gigs and buying a cinema ticket is far, far more expensive here, too.

 

Why can't they charge fair prices for product?

I've been wanting to buy 1408 on DVD ever since it came out, I went to see it at the cinema and thought it was really good. But the few times I've seen it in shops its been around £15, theres no way I'm going pay that much for a DVD, I'd rather download it and wait til it goes in the sales

 

They should drop the prices if they want us to stop downloading

On various sites the only argument I've seen for these proposals was from somebody whose husband runs a small independent CD shop. She claims illegal downloaders are putting his like out of business. I think she should consider the fact that legal CD sellers online (CD Wow etc) and, especially, the supermarkets are the real culprits. They all sell at a price that her husband simply can't and, besides, her husband probably deals primarily in second hand and rare CDs which there is not a ready demand for.

 

Anyone else seen any arguments for this at all?

oh lord....

 

tbh i see NO harm in shareing music files where the music can no longer be bought... i mean, why shouldnt i download a long since deleted track from the 60's where sometimes the artist is DEAD?..

 

Exactly.. Music wise, I primarily download stuff by obscure Indie bands from the late 80s/early 90s (bands like The Telescopes, Galaxie 500, Spacemen 3, Swervedriver, etc) whose material is nigh on impossible to get in record shops these days....

 

Anyway, there's a way around people tracking your IP, use an IP blocker or randomizer such as Peer Guardian... It does kinda slow down your internet a bit, but if you want to download and not get caught, then that's the best thing to do...

 

I dont believe that you can stop people from downloading music any more than you could stop people from taping albums for their mates (like we pretty much ALL did at one point...).

 

 

I dont believe that you can stop people from downloading music any more than you could stop people from taping albums for their mates (like we pretty much ALL did at one point...).

 

Yup, like I said in the U2 manager thread somewhere else...let them cast the first stone. If they can truly say they have never recorded an album to a tape or recorded a show or film off the TV then fine.

 

As usual, instead of going after the c**ts who download films / CDs and then sell $h!te bootleg versions to idiotic people at ridiculous amounts, they're going after the poor little Jimmy in his bedroom who's much easier to catch because he's been doing something that he and all his friends have been doing for years. His perception is that its ok because everyone does it. All because you wanted to hear the new Adele album Jimmy...all because of that...

 

All because you wanted to hear the new Adele album Jimmy...all because of that...

 

well, that's punishment enough, surely? :P

I dont believe that you can stop people from downloading music any more than you could stop people from taping albums for their mates (like we pretty much ALL did at one point...).

 

Agreed. There is no way to stop people downloading music, and come on, we're all guilty of it :lol: You'll never stop it in the same way you'll never stop people listening to their ipods (which tbh breaks copyright law in itself) :lol:. It seems a bit of an extreme measure tbh. Many people either download things which simply arent avaliable, or (like myself) download to see if they like it and if so buy the album or single and support the artists that way.

Edited February 13, 200817 yr by JamesP