London - Virgin Media has suspended plans to launch what would have been the first legal peer-to-peer service from an Internet service provider, after at least two of the major labels, Universal Music and Sony Music, demanded their music not be included, The Register reported.

London - U.K. ISP Virgin Media plans to begin throttling its customers' BitTorrent file-sharing traffic next year, CEO Neil Berkett told The Register.

London - Playlouder MSP, a service that lets users legally download music from file-sharing networks while tracking traffic and compensating rights holders, has partnered with one of the U.K.'s top ISPs and will soon launch an unlimited music download service, PaidContent reported.

London - NBC Universal Global Networks (NYSE: GE) on Friday announced the launch of two time-shifted channels for the U.K.'s Sky and Virgin Media pay-TV services. Hallmark Channel will allow U.K. viewers to watch U.S. NBC TV shows like "House," "Law & Order" and "Damages," while Diva TV will play host to on-demand episodes of "Oprah Winfrey," "Late Show With David Letterman." NBCU already offers the time-shifted channels SCI FI ("Heroes," "Medium," "Flash Gordon" and Movies 24 in the U.K.

London - Six British Internet service providers have signed on to a voluntary code of conduct -- in the face of looming legislation -- that will see them send hundreds of thousands of letters to suspected illegal file-swappers and work with music and other rights holders "towards a significant reduction in illegal filesharing." U.K. ISPs Virgin Media, BSkyB, Carphone Warehouse, BT, Orange and Tiscali are party to the agreement, which came after negotiations facilitated by the U.K.'s Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), and also includes record label trade group the BPI, and the Motion Picture Association of America.

London - The British Phonographic Institute (BPI), a record label trade group, announced on Friday that it has partnered with U.K. broadband provider Virgin Media on a public anti-piracy campaign. Customers whose accounts appear to have been used to illegally distribute music will receive "informative letters" from both Virgin and BPI. While BPI investigators will identify IP addresses of suspected infringers, Virgin will deliver both letters -- without disclosing subscribers' identities to BPI. BPI estimates over 6.5 million U.K. broadband accounts are used to illegally download music.

Los Angeles - Gemstar-TV Guide International (NASD: GMST), a provider of electronic program guides for digital TV services, announced on Thursday that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against cable TV provider Virgin Media in the U.K.

London - Richard Branson's Virgin Media, which provides bundled cable TV, landline, mobile and broadband services in the U.K., announced on Monday that it has received a bid to acquire the company from an unnamed group.

New York - Narrowstep, a provider of Internet TV distribution services, said on Thursday that Virgin Media will use its technology to power a recently announced Internet TV offering. The site will offer full-length programming from Virgin Media Television channels such as LIVINGtv, Bravo and Trouble. VirginMedia.com currently attracts between 10 and 12 million unique monthly users.

London - Richard Branson's Virgin Media U.K. pay-TV service announced on Thursday that it has stopped airing basic channels owned by rival News Corp.'s Sky service, after the companies failed to renegotiate a carriage agreement.

London - Virgin Media, the company's new bundled services offering in the U.K., announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to make over 500 Warner Bros. TV episodes available on its video-on-demand service. The deal includes "Nip/Tuck," "Friends," "The O.C.," "West Wing" and "ER," and follows on previous agreements Virgin Media has signed with Channel 4, HBO, Disney and Alliance Atlantis.

London - Richard Branson's Virgin Group on Thursday announced the launch of Virgin Media, which will offer bundled digital TV, broadband, home and mobile phone service across the U.K.