London - The British government has threatened to enact legislation that would compel Internet service providers in the country to take actions to curb illegal file-sharing, if ISPs and entertainment industry interests cannot come up with voluntary policies by April 2009. "The prospect of legislation to ensure ISPs deal with illegal filesharing, and the proposals to beef up IP enforcement show that the government fully understands the importance of copyright to creators," said Geoff Taylor, CEO of the British Phonographic Institute (BPI), a record label trade group.

"The clear timetable of legislation means that it is now or never for ISPs to negotiate effective and viable agreements with us.

We still believe that co-operating with ISPs to educate their consumers on the impact of copyright infringement and to develop new commercial partnerships is the best way to address the problem."

The move follows a similar action taken by the French government, which now requires ISPs to terminate the accounts of repeat downloaders.

John Kennedy, chairman and CEO of international record label trade group the IFPI, lauded the actions taken in France and Britain as "a sea-change in attitude."

In the U.S., ISPs have cited the "safe harbor" provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which shield service providers from liability for illegal actions committed by customers of their services.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/206rl (Reuters)

http://snipurl.com/206rp (BPI comment)