The government-mandated deal will see Virgin Media, Sky, Carphone Warehouse, BT, Orange and Tiscali send weekly letters over a 3-month period, advising suspected downloaders that their activities are being monitored. If the practice doesn't return agreeable results, the next step will involve working with UK media regulator Ofcom to create a Code of Practice. The code could involve measures such as terminating users' access after three offenses have been committed, slowing the violators' download and upload speeds, as well as filtering content to keep illegal tracks from being downloaded.
ISPs have been reluctant to take on the role of policing how their users use their service, fearing backlash and canceled subscriptions, arguing for the "safe harbor" principle which argues that they are simply providing the service and not responsible for how it's used. The move is expected to intimidate younger law-breakers and to introduce a chilling effect on some forms of illegal file sharing.
The studios themselves would continue work on educating consumers about illegal downloading and develop new legal solutions to their problem in addition to suing those who engaged in the practice previously.
It is estimated 6 million British Internet users illegally distribute copyrighted materials over the Internet, which music and movie publishers claim cost them millions in lost revenue.
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