Some UK ISPs Considering Naming File Swappers

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

19 January 2004

It emerged last week that some UK internet service providers (ISPs) are considering providing music industry groups with the details of customers alleged to have infringed copyright by downloading and swapping music files.

According to a report from the New Media Zero news service, Scottish telecommunications firm, Thus, recently announced that it will look at putting copyright holders in touch with customers alleged to have illegally downloaded files, arguing that such a move would not constitute a breach of UK data protection principles.

AOL, meanwhile, announced that it "wholeheartedly" supported the protection of copyrighted material, and that a balance should be struck in the matter between ISPs and copyright holders.

Tiscali, on the other hand, announced that it would only put copyright holders in touch with allegedly infringing customers after the proper court authorisation has been obtained by the former.

"We'll cooperate with anyone who says their copyright has been breached, but they must go through the proper channels," a spokeswoman for the ISP told New Media Zero.

Consumer rights and P2P groups have expressed outrage at the possibility of this type of disclosure, which has been rejected both in the courts, and by the vast majority of ISPs in the United States.

"It's a complete breach of privacy. I'm shocked anyone in the EU would allow this to happen," Wayne Rosso, head of P2P United, observed on Friday.

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