Illegal Music Downloaders Could Be Banned From The Internet
Published Tuesday, 12th February, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Music fans who download songs illegally could be banned from using the internet if plans currently being considered by the UK government are put into action.
Ministers are suggesting that users who are found with pirated music or films on their hard-drives, would be denied access to their ISP (internet service provider) if repeatedly caught.
The scheme states that UK internet users who are caught would be given a warning via their email, then their ISP account would be banned. Once a downloader had three "strikes" to their name, their online access would be denied.
The news has surfaced from a leaked Green Paper that is to be published next week. It also states that ISPs who fail to put into practice the new rules, could be prosecuted themselves.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "Early drafts of our creative economy programme document were circulated to stakeholders for comment."
"The content and proposals for the strategy have been significantly developed since then and a comprehensive plan to bolster the UK's creative industries will be published shortly. We will not comment on the content of the leaked document."
It's estimated that 6 million people in the UK download music illegally (around 10% of the population).
