BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor embraced the confirmation of new legislation requiring Ofcom and ISPs (internet service providers) to significantly reduce illegal filesharing, but described the failure of the Government’s Digital Britain report to speedily implement more effective measures as “digital dithering”.
He said "It's clear what Government needs to do to boost the digital music market and achieve its stated objective of significantly reducing illegal downloading by 70-80% in two years - that's to act now to require all ISPs to apply a fair system of ‘graduated response’. This would comprise a series of notices followed by technical measures to steer consumers away from illegal filesharing and onto legal online services that reward artists and record labels for their work.
He added: "Evidence shows that the Government’s ‘write and then sue’ approach won't work. And Government appears to be anticipating its failure by lining up backstop powers for Ofcom to introduce technical measures later. This digital dithering puts thousands of jobs at risk in a creative sector that the government recognises as the driver of the digital economy.
“Music companies are in the forefront of developing new digital services for consumers – such as the deal announced yesterday between Universal Music and Virgin Media - but that innovation needs to be balanced with meaningful action to deal with persistent freeloaders."
Digital Britain contains proposals to deal with illegal filesharing and sets out two requirements for internet service providers: to notify subscribers identified as infringing copyright; and to maintain an anonymised database of repeat infringers.
The BPI welcomes Government’s recognition of the need for action but believes these proposals are far too weak to achieve the Government's clear target for significantly reducing illegal filesharing. It believes graduated response, like that announced by Virgin Media yesterday, will be both a more effective and proportionate approach than the large scale litigation against filesharers advocated by the Government.
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For more information please call Sarah Beyer on 0207 803 1395 / 07971 571603 or email sarah.beyer@bpi.co.uk.