How can the music industry expect us to pay the prices they charge, when its is available for free. iTunes charge 79p for a song which is ridiculus! IMO music should be free. It worries me that ISP follow everything we do, not that i have anything to hide, but the fact that we are getting ever closer to the 'big brother' way of living. We have no privacy anymore.

Rich, Bristol, England

Where does it say that if you share a cd/dvd that you will be breaking the law. I read on the back of my origional cd/dvd/playstation cd's that the origional cd's was not for resale , However it fail's to say that you cannot share, swap or trade for free. So how can that be stealing. Or is this something that the government made up to put their hands back into our pockets or is it some kind of conspiracy. There are conmen & then the government with hidden charges. No wonder why britain is a rip off country.

Dennis2m, Beano Town, South Yorks

Instead of turning onto the usual consumer, why dont the goverments instead take a more stand on the illegal sites and the perverts who prey on children. Thousands of sites are on the web , raking in thousands for these perverts. Then you have the low lifes who make users life a misery with spam.

Makes me mad,,,,,

rich, Nr Bristol,

they can do what ever they want it is internet , computers you can not just stop it and if they put a wall just like they did with for example with emule , kazaa then a new way will come to download movies music like now torrents. anyway it will take lots of time before they can secure more than 50 % so no wories

Edgar, Luton,

personally, i feel the same way as pat from farnworrth. however where will the thinkg have a cut off point. is it just filehsraing programs like rapidshare, or willit include downloads from myspace or something. and really i do use a fileshare program, however i dotn use it in such a way which will impose on me. i do it for personal use thats all. i have leant to a few friends over msn, so does that mean there files which wre probably downloade off a fileshare mean that they cant use threre internet. This has so many flaws in it, nowonder people are up in arms. it should be used to block youtube violence, paedophiles and internet sites which experss wishes of hatred upon the world

Jonathan Ridley, Bradford,

Perhaps the law is out of date. The criminolgy blog site Bent Society is posting on this very subject this week. See last Friday's facinating post here : http://bentsocietyblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/video-piracy-on-superhighway-to-hell.html

There is also a post today on the subject on the same site - with some little known facts and figures fron hi-tech crime research in the area.

Dr Society, London, England

this isnt going to stop people downloading and ISPs will lose customers because they will have to take there internet away its helping one very rich industry at the expense of another. The only way they can do it properly is if they upload spyware on peoples computers to observe what there downloading because almost everyone will be banned otherwise its an infringement of our human rights.

Garth, Nuneaton,

Until the CD and DVD prices become sensible, downloads will happen. Big brother may complain, but the majority of downloads are occasional users, that cost the film and record companies little.

The only way to catch the attention of the music industry and encourage cheaper prices for downloads and CD/DVD purchases is to hit them where it hurts. Their wallet.

I suggest a one week boycott. No online downloads or CD/DVD purchases for one week. How about 31st March? The subsequent dip in income would get their attention, but it has to be a widespread boycott.

Only when they know you can hit back, will they take any notice.

Richard, Edinburgh, UK

Im not a pirate but i do use filesharing programs and protocols very regulary (eg linux cd imges). personally, I welcome this legislation as it stimulating discussion on many technology related groups (piracy and non-piracy). In order for an ISP to enforce this they will need to analyse web traffic in order to find a a pattern that can be beyond all reasonable doubt, pirated content. Some form of public/private key encryption would prevent this if random keys were used. so im hoping this will result in much more secure file sharing programs for all of us.

Ben, Bristol, uk

for years ive known this was coming, and had my suspisons it would come around the time the new high def forum would take hold.

im sure that this debate is going to be as ruthless as the oil industry, it probably has more hidden motives than gwb

you have to wonder how many opinions you are going to read that are created by people either side of the fence, simply to change the way things are done, rather than what is right

as a person who has probably downloaded dozens of terabytes of stuff over the years, and someone who relies on d/l on a daily basis (strike time excluded) to keep up with my shows im going to be very involved in this

after all, the tv industry is out to make a product that gets the viewers to set aside a certain hour of each week to get you to tune in again, and again and again, infact hundreds of time seach show, and yet they think people will be able to just have that taken away, especially since they have the easy of d/l whenever they want (uk viewers)

pj, uk,

I dont understand what the law will be changed to cos there are some tv programs that we cannot watch here in england (the amazing race and later seasons of one tree hill my favoutrites) we get shows like desperate housewives lost and heroes like 6 months after so why are we denied access to these shows for like 6 months and we are given no access to the amazing race, it isnt even released on region 2 dvd. the only way to watch it i presume then if this new law comes in is to move to america. imagine that!!! the whole british population moving to america!!! that would teach the goverment.

Martin, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

I would quite happily pay to download my favourite programme after it has aired in the US, but I can't because it hasn't been shown in the UK. I still watch the programme on TV when it gets here (5 months later) and buy the DVDs when they come out. So to be penalised for illegally downloading something I can't get any other way is discriminatory.

I thought there were laws about discrimination. I vote for gobal paid access to anything screened in any other country. The payment should be split between the country of origin and the country of the receiver.

Surely there should be some thought about people sharing things that are no longer available.

Sonya, Chipping Campden, UK

I know this is an old thread by now, however i just thought somebody should say that the sharing of music and film in this way, illegal or not, is probably a very good thing for the UK, culturally speaking. It allows us a greater exposure, and an easier exposure, to artistic creations. We would surely welcome greater access to poetry, litterature, ballet, theatre, art, etc. and perhaps especially so for our young. Music and film are two other great artforms that provide great encouragement and stimulation. They should be encouraged, diversified, and seen and heard. There are other ways for them to be profitable as many have pointed out. Most artists of today i believe would have welcomed easier access to music and film when they themselves were in their development. Although many here can afford to buy numerous cds, there are those who cannot. Compared with several other society's, e.g france, italy etc, our exposure is quite appaling.

graham, Oslo, Norway

re David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK comments does this mean you can no longer go to your local library and borrow a CD listen to it and copy it? surely the same can be said for the book industry. Why not close down libraries and only allow then certain content. Too much big brother here and i wonder how this would stand up as an infringment of peoples human rights...

jd76, glasgow,

I have been using the try before you buy method of choosing music for years.

Friends used to say "hey have you heard band X" they would lend me a tape or a CD if I liked it I would buy it. Recently they said "ha, try this band.." mailed me an MP3, if I liked it I would go to HMV and buy it. Now they link me to youtube and guess what if I like it I go buy the whole album on CD or from iTunes. It's called viral marketing and something the darned industry is constantly trying to achieve.

I have developed a wide range of musical tastes I would never had tried otherwise and spend an absolute fortune on licensed music.

The reason that the music industry are supposedly going down is because so much of the music they produce is trash.

Now the serious bit; what this law will do, is allow the government to monitor your communications, search your email and build up a picture of your friends colleagues and those with whom you communicate electronically.

Steev, London,

dennis2m, south yorks, uk - If you hired a car for a week and let anyone use it that is stealing. If you swapped it for another car - that is stealing. You cannot give away what does not belong to you. Music and films do not belong to you, you cannot buy them for a £10. You get a licence to listen and view that is all.
If you are downloading music that someone else has bought that you have not got a license for then you are a thief.
If someone hands you a CD to swap for another CD then that is not stealing. The trouble with downloading sites is they are handing out multiple copies but have only paid for 1 so they are giving away/swapping copies they do not own. Stealing.
Your arguments leak like a collander.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

I don't condone piracy per se, but I can see are many reasons why it occurs .....

One aspect is more to do with censorship.
A step in the direction of more severe censorship.
First they CD downloads, Then Videos, Then News, then .......

The second aspect is to do with value for money
Most people who "prirate" CD's & DVD's would NOT purchase anyway so there is NO LOSS to the industry or artists.

However, people are more likely to purchase once they have downloaded, watched / listened, decided they like it and want a better quality copy !!! Freely available POOR quality copies would would advertise.

There is so much rubbish Music and Films out there, many are reluctant to buy without first trying (Try before you buy is a well tried concept in software circles and is very successful if the price is realistic)

The age old question .... why are CDs and DVDs approximately twice the price of the same thing in the US or EU. If people feel cheated, then they will feel free to cheated

paul, newbury, uk

If i bought a car does that mean i only purchased the wheels. So that means im not allowed to swap my car for free for a car at the same price is that classed as stealing. It is the same for most things that come under share, swap or trade as all 3 mean the same things and would probably come under copyright protections. If i bought shayne ward on cd and i wanted to make my own compilation cd with songs that i like and there was a share site to download songs from i would use it even if there was a download charge per song but if i was sharing and getting songs for free off other people why would that be stealing if we all bought the cds in first place. Stealing i remember is something that you didnt pay for in the first place. People are still getting paid for their product so whats wrong with that. Cos if we didnt buy it how would we share it and if it didnt exist in the first place neither would the share sites or download sites.

dennis2m, south yorks, uk

The goverment wants to stop people from sharing music and films. How dumb is the goverment ?

I will tell you how dumb the goverment is in a little story that all people can relate to even the goverment.

I buy a pack of football cards i already have say michael owen and i end up with another michael owen but i need lets say ronaldo my friend has 2 ronaldo football cards and so i want to swap or trade so i get a full collection. But i get told im not allowed to swap because there is copyright protection i get told i got to keep buying to get a full collection. Now what happens if i dont buy at all then because i cant swap or trade and i might have to buy a million pack of cards just to get my full collection of football cards. Now that company would go bankrupt if everybody didnt want to buy their product.

The moral of the story is that we have to buy any product to be able to share trade or swap in the first place.

dennis2m, Rotherham,

They say that people who download music from download sites are doing artists out of money and that it has been going on for quite some time. So why havent none of these music or film producers gone bankrupt yet or is that because people have to buy their products in first place to be able to share with other people. So obviously people are getting paid some where then. 5000 people could have bought that album or film in the uk alone then 5000 million in another country could have the same product. So whats wrong in sharing and making up your own cd compilations most albums i have bought i tend to find that i only like about 2 to 3 songs on them. I dont sell to make a profit i download to make my own cd just like the old cassette. Films im not bothered about as they get repeated anyway on tv when they come on then ya get fed up of seeing them. Films shouldnt be in cinema they should be shown on tv first pay perview maybe stop piracy then. It wud be like buyin from a shop.

dennis2m, south yorks, uk

Why dont the music industry put a download site on the web and put individual music songs and charge 0.50p per download or charge £3.00 per 5 songs the same price as a single cd but give people the choice to pick the songs that they want. That way everybody wins or even charge £50.00 for a year or six month contract where you can download as many songs as you like. That way the music industry would win all piracy and out do other download sites that charge for membership. Also the music industry could put a protection on the file where it can not be copyed on to cd unless the member purchased a license for a reasonable fee.

dennis2m, south yorks, uk

Tony, Fort Worth, USA - Taking your idea to stupid levels only 1 person in the world need ever buy a CD or DVD.
It is stealing buddy, it matters not your opinion on it. The CD is indeed yours but the music or film on it is licenced to you and your home. You have not bought it only a licence to listen/view it. That licence does not extend to giving it free to the public and the rest of the world.
Grant you, you are not the only one doing the stealing. The CD/DVD makers are ripping people off too with their prices but in the US it is cheap. Try buying in the UK mate then you'd have something to gripe about.
Adam of Cardiff - answer 7 - you are both thieves.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

You've bought the CD - you own the PLASTIC not the MUSIC.
Buy a Harry Potter book, photocopy it and stand on a corner and start giving it away, you'll get laughed at - no one lost any real money.
Start printing and selling it on a commercial scale, you'll make a few quid before you get slapped down HARD by the author & her publishers, who really don't want to miss out on lots of royalties. Fair enough ?
So give a copy of a CD to a mate - no problem, stick it on a download site where loads ( thousands ++) will grab it and you've lost the publishers & artists lots of money (royalties & manufacture & distribution profits).
You can't do this. (Remember the Law defends Wealth before people !)
How much money the publishers & artists get is a whole different problem.

Howard Goodman, Carshalton, Surrey

Although I live in te US, it is my firm belief that once I purchase a movie or a music CD, it is my right to do with it as I please as long as I am not trying to profit from it. That is, if I decide to upload it to a free site for someone to download to their computer or MP3 player for their personal use, then that is my right to do so as I nowown the music or movie cd or dvd and am not trying to make money off of it, and am just trying to share it with others as they are trying to share their music with oters as well

By trying to prevent and shut down these file sharing sites, you are trying to shut down the world and communication between people. But that is just my opinion

Tony, Fort Worth, USA

The government need to get their priorities right. There are internet users who use the internet to download paedophillic pornography, make explosives, steal identities and to harass other internet users, and the government is worried about media downloads?!?! Maybe the government needs to think about dealing with the most severe issues first. Something tells me that the entertainment industry isn't exactly pushed to the brink of bankruptcy.

harrold, Peterborough,

Its sunday morning and i have just sat and read all of the above comments on this "Proposed Government Initiative"
Can we first start by asking a few simple questions, which should expose the ethical root of this entire subject - and hopefully you the reader can make you're own desicion on this subject.
1. The artist thinks up an idea for a song - or for a movie.
2. the artist is paid for his ideas - musical or theatrical, or produces the work themselves (or in collaboration with others)
at which point the artist is paid.
3. After the finished product hits the outside world - they contiue to get paid (normally speaking, royalties).
4.You the customer purchase that product (at this point everybodies happy - agreed!
5.so NOW who actually owns that product - you know the 1 you paid for!
6. I bloody do and to make sure i dont damage my extortionatel
priced product i back it up on my PC.
7. Heh my friend hasnt seen my paid for product - so i upload it to him - WHOS THE CRIMINAL ??

adam, cardiff, big brother uk

If this government had focussed as much attention on doing the job it is employed to do as it has on becoming involved in issues beyond both its remit and intellectual capabilities, Britain's streets would be free of crime, people would have a decent health service available to them, kids would be properly educated and the elderly would not have to struggle on inadequate pensions.

Richard Crow, Warsaw, Poland

Wow it's great that companies and corporations outside the U.K can change our law without our concent. Looks like this is truely a plutocracy. I think Nazi germany would of done the same.

hail, London,

If they what to put a stop to the illigal downloading of music and videos, then what about the illigal downloading of copywrited images?

MIke Osborne, Isle of Wight,

The big movie and music conglomerates are greedy. People also use torrents to access long forgotten programmes, documentaries, and other features that are unavailable. This move will destroy all of that. In the Netherlands and elsewhere these companies have even forced a tax on blank discs which is then passed back to them - no matter what you use the disc for. The government certainly isn't representing ordinary people here, but the ones from industry - most notably in the US - who've been lobbying hard. The irony of it all is it is doubtful if their profits will increase as a result.

B Redfern, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Who is snooping on me all the time anyway???
How will HE know what I download unless Big Brother is always watching me?
That to me is a far more serious threat

Steve Heard, Nottingham,

I doubt ISP's will go with this, as it will mean they would get less money from people who subscribe to their service.

I find it funny that you have 3 chances though, as this implies that it really isn't that serious, otherwise you would be banned the first time.

These companies need to look at themselves and see that the reason they are losing money, is because they are creating sub-standard products, that people are not willing to pay the prices they are charging.

Charlie Chester, Leicester ,

Have the ISP'S really thought this through? how many people will cancel the 8 meg connections they have and how many accounts will the ISP have to cancel. its just not viable for them to do this. they will lose 70% plus of their 8 meg customer base

Thomas, Norfolk,

Shut the door and they'll find an open window...

Nikki, London,

It's actually not theft, since you're not taking a product from the artists. They have not *lost* anything. The morality of it you can debate, but I can safely say that if I did not download (illegally) a lot of artists would have lost money when I then went out and bought the CD (because I liked it). In other words, this legislation is bad in every way.

Aaron, TN, USA

The " free content movement", which includes "The Gutenberg Project", sounds progressive and humanitarian but the economic beneficiaries are the gigantic software and IT hardware companies because the lure of free books, films and music makes computers attractive to consumers who otherwise have little need of "Graphing Calculators" and such. Content creators and booksellers, and other vendors of traditional media, are harmed. YouTube and Google aren't giving their intellectual properties away.
However the reason my personal shopping for music CDs has dwindled since I went online is that I don't feel the need to buy CDs out of boredom on my way home. I have loaded many of my favourite CDs into iTunes but I listen to music less.

Ewan Lamont, Edinburgh, UK

Why cant the ISP's and the Music/Movie/Game Industry's sort out their finances between themselves - perhaps put a few extra pounds on broadband packages to cover the downloads? its typical that the client has to lose out - I would have thought that a lot of Internet users would gladly pay an extra £5 or so a month to pay for media downloads. This has been going on for years and years and hasnt even DENTED any of the Industrys as yet - the only real loss will be at the expense of the hardcopy CD-DVD-Video etc manufacturers - not the industry's that create their content > I will just have to play my green 'save the planet' trump card - Long Live the Free (sic) Internet!

William, Hastings,

And pray tell just how are these ISPs going to differentiate between someone playing an online game ( World of Warcraft = 10 million worldwide so its big stuff!) or someone say using torrent to legally pass information or to patch an online MMO?
They cant. So what will happen is that the ISPs will place software at the heart of the broadband that *hiccups* the flow of data and in effect disconnects you from any other torrent users etc.

Lets have it that we will all stop using the internet and the politicians can all stop lieing. Uhu. Exactly.

Craig, Glasgow, Scotland

why are they moaning about it, if they are kicking people off the internet then they are losing money by not getting as much customers.

so isp,s will also be moaning as they are losing more money than music producers.

what are they going to do then.

also we pay for the internet we should be able to do what we want with it.

brad, stoke , uk

This is typical of the stupity of humans. It is similar to the "war on drugs," in that the morons who run things are going after the users, versus the suppliers. You want to take something out of the mix, you take out the supplie line, not the user. Then the user has nowhere to get the thing they are after... problem solved.

Bill B, Pville, NM

My opinion is that people here are getting confused over theft. Theft is when you steal something physical, a material object. Data is not. Therefore it is not theft. These people are trying to stay downloading data IS theft. Not only is this rubbish, but where do we then draw the line? When you open a page, it downloads data from it, perhaps including a picture. If you save that picture to your computer does that mean it is theft? You stole that picture technically, because you neither paid for it, nor produce it yourself!! Do we want to close the internet completely and make it "view only"?

The music industry has to realise that the world is moving towards free data and free information. If the government tries to impose a restriction on our access it is paramount to tyranny and people will oppose it. I bet 75% of people oppose this bill, so it shouldn't be passed, it is not democracy. We have lost sight of democracy... let the people decide. Referendum all the way :)

SJ, Edinburgh, Scotland

It is THEFT
Nicolaas L, Croxley green, Hertfordshire, United kingdom
- - -
you might be a concept artist... but get your head around this concept - its not THEFT.. its not even a criminal offence!

dij, leicester,

So the labour government advocate vigilante justice being metered out by the 'creative industry/lobby'. And the 'justice' need only to be based on suspicion???

Not that it will work, expect numerous newspaper articles about 87 year old grannies being kicked off the internet because of 'suspective downloading activities'.

Arne Ritter, London, UK

Nothing Kim Gaynor, nothing.

Alex , Wallington, Surrey

It proves politicians work for corporations not their constituents. The net was designed to free information and resist military attack. It will resist big brother too.

AL, granada, spain

How are they going to know that large files being downloaded are films etc. Hmmm through traffic monitoring perchance? The phrase breach of privacy springs to mind.

Will C, Manchester,

I have personally waited years biting my lip waiting for the day the government would tell us they are going to bring in legislation. This protects the artists and industry against theft... it was a matter of time.
By using a fair method of 3 strikes would allow a user to make a mistake or two, they would suffer no repercussions.

I as an Independent self funded video game story writer and concept artist can identify with their plight.
The more money spent on purchases/downloads the more spent funding the growing industry of computer based entertainment, amazing the benefits will get back to you in the end.

Just be patient and remind yourself that this is not just a unfairness restriction of your freedom...
You get 3 chances, If you download something that you have not paid for no matter how much you sugar coat it,
It is THEFT

Dare I mention the websites promoting streaming and downloading protected video content, what is the stance of the government on this subject?

Nicolaas L, Croxley green, Hertfordshire, United kingdom

Greed and stupidity at its max... without reading all 105 comments I am pretty sure there is not one single person who has backed up this craziness. “Six million broadband users are estimated to download files illegally every year in this country” six million versus a ridiculous law = ain’t gonna happen

sc0rp, l,

The government have made a big mistake, they're messing with something more powerful than they can handle... Wait and see...

Peter, Walsall,

Its all about privacy!!!!!!!!

Allen, Wales, UK

I don't believe sharing copyrighted material on a large scale is right but this government is becoming far too authoritarian, are they going to force telecom companies to tap all our phone calls & mail companies to open all our letters and parcels to catch a few petty criminals?, absolutely unbelievable !. Surely this contravenes Data protection laws and civil liberties. I have voted for labour all my life but no more!,enough is enough!. They are going down a dangerous road,I'm sure the ministers making these decisions are going to land a nice consultation job with the recording and movie industry when they are kicked out of power, working 2 hours a month for a handsome fee.They think we are all stupid and we don't know the reason they are in politics!. Who do they think are downloading movies and music for free? the RICH? no it's the poor and the middle classes, who are stealth taxed and mortgaged to the hilt. Are record company bosses going to have their 6 bedroom houses repossessed?

Simon.M, Abingdon, Oxon

Once again, the massive corporate publicists move to protect their own profits. They should be made illegal as they actually stiffle creativity

John Smith, Staffordshire, UK

I am forced to ask why can't this kind of policing be applied to people who down load indecent material, for example Paedophiles, or those that spread hate and resent across the internet , or the sites that host this type of material....... is it because the victims of this type of crime don't have a multimillion pound (dollar) industry behind them ?????

Ian , Newport, UK

As usual the answer to piracy is make films and music cheaper, make films £1.99-£2.50 each and no-one would even bother taking the time and trouble to download, but will the studios do it?... no.

They only have themselves to blame for this situation, ripping the public off for years. SElling DVDs at up to £20 for a film, selling DVDs in the US at half the price they market them here and cutting many features from the discs in the process.

Stephen, Ayr , Scotland

Yeah good point about Youtube.

This is full of copyrighted material, but seems to be OK as it's Google.

I can't see this working - sounds to me like they're opening a huge can of worms.

Andy, London,

So how much would it cost me to get my own laws passed? Or do I have to create a company of a certain size before the government will listen to me?

Andy Blower, Sheffield, England

In light of the fact that 5 men have been cleared by the courts for downloading terrorist material. but having no proff that they were going to use it.

How can a government then apply laws to the same principle with regard to downloads of films.?

They have to prove they watch it first.

Yet again, the government opening its stupid and misguided mouth before it thinks.

Dave, Lincoln,

COST OF A FILM TO THE CONSUMER!

Cinema, transport, extortionate drink (can't take your own!) £15
Rental, transport £5
Buy the DVD @ Release £16

So unless you wana wait 6+months to see this amazing new film and overhear the end the day before waiting for a bus you would be spending £30+ unless you only wana see it once.

Download and buy - I wana download watch and if I like it I'll buy it. But why should I or anyone else pay 2,3 or even more times to truly appreciate the creativity everyone's trying to protect.

How many of TODAYS big artists can honestly say that they would have been exposed to all the influences they had without being able to download.

People will always want to collect their favorites so the industry will never die. Having a line of text you click is not the same as owning a nice new CD, DVD or whatever you prefer.

Lets keep things in perspective. Piracy has always been there it is only now that it has become so tangable that the big bosses care.

Tom King, Bristol,

I agree that some actors and musicians may be overpaid but for me the bottom line is retail outlets. People depending on selling this stuff to make a living (particularly the smaller independent stores - too many of these are now being forced to close down). Downloading illegally is theft and people are being robbed of their livelihood by it. Support your independent retailers and keep people in jobs. Even legal downloading is causing problems for shops. Think about it.

Dave Ingram, Doncaster, England

If this goes through I'll be blocking all music and film material at my router, and not allowing CD's or DVD's in my computer.

I rely on my PC for work, and I can't let entertainment material threaten that. Yes, this likely means I won't buy it anymore but that's the choice which the music and film industry has made.

(I don't see the need to buy seperate players for media my PC can play, so I won't have a way to play it. If the music and video industry want to buy me players...)

Leon Wolfeson, Oxford, UK

For me its just like going round my mates a copying a cd, and as well it will be easy to get past, sorry all the people in the govement and ISP's who are good on pc's but there are better people:)

Danny, Norfolk,

James from Wolverhampton says he doesn't have the power to stop other users downloading illegally on his broadband? Well, he certainly has the power to restrict use of 'his' broadband - It's called encryption.

It's HIS broadband, and HIS responsibility, so if he allows people to use it for whatever reason, be it music file sharing or kiddie porn, then he must take the responsibility for that.

James? Google for WPA Wi-Fi encryption and sort yourself out...... or face the consequences.

Angela Palmer, Wednesfield, West Midlands

We must not stand for being spied upon at the behest of the government for the sake of any private corporation, it is a ridiculous concept in a free society. The entertainment industry is composed of private businesses, why should they in particular have this kind of special dispensation in law? They have enough leverage already in the way they do business and robust legislation they can use in the normal way, like everyone else, and have used it numerous times. They have nothing to fear in any case with digital music sales increasing very rapidly now and hi-def video about to explode.

This would spell the beginning of the end of all freedom and privacy on the internet, seriously increase ISP costs, and will certainly not prevent piracy in any case. The government needs to tell these massive corporations once and for all, to back off.

David Thomas, Birmingham, UK

I've spent a few hundred pounds in music in the last couple of years, none of which I would have without downloading. I downloaded a Warped Tour Compilation illegally, and through that found Protest the Hero, of which I now have a poster and a CD, and if I hadn't downloaded, I wouldn't have spent any money at all. The record industry is trying to kill itself by not allowing anyone to listen to their music.

I swear, this is all going to crash and burn, but people aren't going to stop making music; whoever manages to create the solution to the mess RIAA is making will become a very rich person indeed.

Thomas, Cornwall,

I have in the past bought and paid for Pink Floyd Dark side of the moon. I have lost my copy - whats wrong with downloading it.

Dave, Exeter,

The music industry grew up in an era when it was impossible to selfpublish, impossible for most to even thnk of accessing professional prodction and publishing resources, now MILLIONS have access to those resorces and the music industry still wants to turn the same profit? Sowee your bubble burst, face the music.

Besides, if p2p is so damaging to end revenues, how is it then that the video games industry has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years despite every game ever developed having been cracked and pirated? Why Because ultimately people buy what they can afford and pirate the rest where before they would of just done withut , no loss felt
For proponents of just do without you ever bought a peice of bugridden, almost useless software and been unable to get a refund or unwilling to spend weeks trying to get it? You're hardly alone, if restaurants had as many bugs in their food they'd be shut down without a second thought. Sound like joke, it's not impossible to write good code

Demosthenes, wexford, Ireland

Along with Piggybacking, I share a flat with 4 other students.
How do the ISP determine which person would have the penalty?
I don't have the power to stop other users downloading illegally on my broadband.

There should be some sort of law, but I think the government needs to think of some other kind of solution.

However, there should be more awareness for younger users on how downloading illegally is effecting the economy.

James, Wolverhampton,

Another hilairious gaffe by our incompetent administration.

Instead we just move to an per-session generated key encrypted P2P system via proxy servers.

The ISP will know that *something* is being shared, but no way of knowing what, and no way of proving anything.

So, in the meantime could our useless administration please use its last few months in office doing something useful?

Zak Larue-Buckley, Leicester, UK

Those who are most determined to download illegally and who are the biggest problem for the film and record companies, are also the ones who will be most determined to find a way round this! Some simple program will probably emerge which would block the isp from knowing. And what about DJ's who download 'illegally' cos they need music that hasn't been signed to any label, and are not established enough to qualify to be sent free promos?! It wouldn't be the same as 'illegal downloading' , but how on earth would the isp's detection systems/software know the difference?! This is a way of life for millions of people. Many are fair and decent, and would pay for music if they could, but can't afford it. But they're lives revolve around it and it's what they live for. They desire world peace and love, and don't care for capitalism or greed, yet they would be forceably caught up in it. The companies would loose again, as fewer djs would be able to promote the records!

Alex, Scarborough,

Most of the piracy wouldn't be necessary if all content was made immediately available via the internet at a minimal cost. Most the stuff I download I wouldn't pay their extortionate prices for anyway so TPTB are not losing money but would be losing out on making their material available to all. This is greed,pure and simple, another symptom of the capitalist era!

Fred, Plymouth,

The fact is the industry has been ripping the public off for years and like everything in life. What goes around comes around.
I appreciate that artists (being one myself) work hard to produce there material but that doesn't alter the fact that it costs a few pence to produce a cd and at the height of the rip off era some shops were selling cd's for twenty quid a throw.
The Government are spending time trying to police the fact that some record company is now not making as much money as it once was whilst this once beautiful country is being destroyed by Criminals who are left un-punished for crimes that are so awful it makes me sick. The saying money makes the world go round should be changed to money makes the governement go round.

Rich, Newbury, Berks

It would be nice if the government paid this kind of attention to Rip Off Britain. Where the cost of most consumer goods is higher then elsewhere, fuel charges are higher. In the case of fuel charges they seem to always go up and never down even though wholesale prices go down.

Kris, London,

Pam from Adeleide sure knows what THEFT is. Or does she...?

The guy that breaks into your house and takes your TV and CDs is a thief, yes. Because he now has your property and you don't. But consider this: Instead of breaking in, what if he just strolled in, the door was wide open. He didn't take your goods; he didn't have to, because he had a machine that could create an exact duplicate of anything you own. So, he duplicated your entire CD and DVD collection and left with them. You woke up in the morning, none the wiser. You still had all of your possessions intact. Now how much have you lost Pam???

Kim Gaynor Williams, Wednesfield, West Midlands

This legislation does not mention 'convicted illegal file sharing' only 'suspected illegal file sharing.'
Who decides whether somebody is suspected of illegal file sharing? And who has the right to punish people who have not been convicted of a crime?
Is the power to enforce laws now being given to forces outside the government? Mi5, Police, and ISPs? Where's the logic in that?

Jake, Anytown, UK

Surely for ISPs to know that you are downloading illegal files to your computer would require them to have access to personnel information on your computer. Would this not constitute ISPs accessing our computers without our knowledge or consent?

Tony, Newcastle,

This is a good move, but I have one or two concerns:

A lot of people do not know the internet, and for that matter, the world of technology, like a couple of 'whizz-kids' (which I happen to be one of) might do. A 'dodgy' advert that advertises a "free film", I know, is probably very illegal, but an innocent, naive person could be mislead.

Some safeguards, please!

Timothy Foxley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Wow! I have to thank you guys. So many rationalisations for THEFT. So if I can't afford a new pair of shoes, it's okay for me to walk into a shop (because the owner is richer than I am) and steal a pair? Great idea! And the guy who breaks into my house (because I've got more money than he has) and takes the TV and CDs to sell cheap to a mate down the pub? That's okay too? Because I worked hard and saved up to buy the TV and CDs? Is that what you're all saying? Because it certainly sounds like it. Talk about fuzzy logic! What you are doing is stealing. Whether you like to admit it or not, if you download copyright material illegally then you are a thief. If that offends you; tough. Deal with it.

Pam, Adelaide, Australia

if you have a nasty lock in contract with your ISP, will this get you out of it?

The UK really seems to be going down the police state route.

Mark Joshi, Melbourne, Australia

As a musician, I will say hand on heart that I have never made a profit from CD sales in the music business (it used to be called an industry but no longer deserves the title). Most artists rely on touring and merchandise for the bulk of their income, they only make pence from an album sale.
An artist to a label is the equivalent of a worker in a factory, completely expendable, but they can hang on to their position if they do a good enough job, it's a dreadful business to be involved in, you only have to browse through the history of music to see that it is littered with horror stories of artists being used to squeeze in that extra dollar.
The bullies have met their match, they've gone running to the headmaster for help, the prefects are being pointed at to sort it out.
The ISPs really won't be able to police it thoroughly, the music business don't want to spend the money, and the government would only lose the information from the back of a couriers van!
The UK, officially funny!

Russell, Stoke-On-Trent,

I have no idea how they will circumnavigate the encryption that is available to anybody who want private connections. If the government forces the end-users to provide unencrypted access to ISP's then that will stuff the privacy of every on-line credit-card/paypal transaction you'll ever make. The whole internet economy will be living in fear over this new fraudulent avenue.

Thanks Gordon!

Martin, Maidenhead, UK

I have created a petition opposing this at:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/process4pirates

It should be up by tomorrow (it's just waiting for approval).

The text of the first part follows:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to refrain from introducing legislation mandating the disconnection of individuals suspected of piracy. We hold that the government should not be aiding in the bringing of civil procedures against suspected pirates and that criminal liability should only be imposed after full judicial process has been followed, in line with the existing criminal law on copyright infringement.

Tom Holden, Oxford,

To Tony, from London UK. It's not any artists doing at all. Artists make on average 12 to 14% of all profits made on the album they created. All these high prices are entirely the label's doing. These lables are ripping everyone off, even their artists.

Kyle, Bournemouth, UK

This is a win win situation for both the music and film industry and the internet providers. The file sharing activities use large amounts of costly bandwidth while depriving income to the fat cats in the music and film industry. These two groups have teamed up together and pooled their lobbiest to get this legislation passed in the major western countries.

You do not and will not have a say in this matter. They own you through your monthly payment, and you will not be able to organize and unite to stop them. You are dependent on the internet and have nowhere else to go to get the internet!

Welcome to the 21st century...the century of complete control over the sheeple by those in a position of power!

Like a drug addict, they have figured out how to get you addicted to what you think you need, then they control you through your addiction to that perceived need!

May I suggest a little light reading? R. Buckminster Fuller's "Critical Path"...well worth reading!

Tim Griffith, Fredonia, Pennsylvania, USA

So the government will be also tapping all phone lines, mobile frequencies and having 24 hour, 7 day a week patrols on all parts of all roads? Because I know for a fact that illegal activity happens in all those areas as well. What's that? Could never happen? Logistically impossible?

Once the absurdity of this law is applied to other real world situations it becomes quite easy to see why it won't work.

Chris, London,

why is it up to ISPs to police the net?
Surely it has to be up to the company that is facing the loss from the piracy (NBC-ABC-BBC-EPIC or who ever...) To come up with ways of stopping it.
Its not as if I can blame the petrol station for my car being broken into.
I also cant see what it has to do with government.
If an ISP want to set up a deal with another company eg Sony, to look into preventing piracy of its products then fair enough...thats the free market. But to have law made???
Mind you with this lot its hardly surprising, if they had their way we'd all be unpaid police reporting one another for not paying our gas bills on time...we'd have to convert our attics to prison cells though, as they've filled the real ones

Marco Pews, Southborough, Kent, England

It is time we boycotted these greedy companies. We should stop buying overpriced DVDs and CDs until the prices are reduced. A few greedy “artists” and a lot of greedy executives are trying to use our own legal system against us.
The governments should be taking action against this industry, of excesses, by introducing new legislation.
As soon as a company has made a reasonable profit or after a much shorter time period, music and films should be moved to the public domain. The government is supposed to act in the interests of the people, not as a collection agency of big business. What are we to do, it is so worrying to read that David Cameron was going to propose similar measures. Are all our leaders tarred with the same brush?
In any case a lot of the material produced by the “entertainment” industry should be returned to them under the sale of goods act as it is often far short of entertainment. Most of us just put it on the shelf without trying to use the letter of the law.

Tony, London, UK

Any chance of the Times uploading a copy of the green paper.

Dominic, London, UK

I anyone from the government actually reads these comments (probably not as they do not seem to give a stuff about what their employers think anymore.)

I want to say you should be ashamed of yourselves, really ashamed. We are talking about people who have so much money it is sick. People who live in $10m houses, drive $300k cars and you are proposing to persecute hard working, low income tax payers in order to help the record companies make even more money.

The copyright law is wrong. Does an architect get paid every year on one of his creations? Does a chef get a year after you have eaten his meal? Does an artist get royalties on a piece of art they sold years ago?

NO is the answer. So why should the music business be any different? They really believe that illegal downloaders once deprived of the internet will be able to find the money to buy all these CD's and movies instead!! What a a joke.

You call yourself a labour government? That's the biggest joke.

GM, Brisbane,

How will they discriminate between out of copyright and still in copyright? A recording of music taken from a 78rpm disc that was made in 1930 is out of copyright and can freely be shared.

How will the ISP know?

Algernon Black, Cheltenham, England

I really love our government. They can lose £10b worth of private details stored on some discs in the post, and receive absolutely no penalty. Yet we have governing bodies such as the Financial Services Authority looming over private companies, and financially rape them at any sign of misconduct. Think of the recent fine they issued to Norwich Union. It is absurd...

...Perhaps not absurd as this proposal.

Bobby BigKnuckles, Essex,

I've just sent all my usernames and passwords to Gordon Brown. Why wait?

Sarah , Dartmouth, Canada

I generally sympathise with the profit motive, and if that section of the population which is law-abiding is prepared to pay a particular price for a product then I congratulate the vendor for pitching the product at that price.

That said, the music industry might serve its own interests were it to win the hearts and minds of the consumer population if it indends to thrust this measure down its throat, and in that pursuit it singularly fails for as long as there are such large discrepancies between pricing policies across national boundaries that cannot be explained by differing distribution costs. The British consumer population has only itself to blame for being hoodwinked into paying top price where elsewhere in the world they do not stand for it. Yet for as long as the industry takes advantage of their gullibility the industry will continue to be exposed to criticism, which does not help it when trying to push through these measures.

Jack, Gloucester,

It's often more convinient to download something legally anyway, to save having to search for it. The solution is to make it MORE CONVINIENT to download legally, than illegally. But at the moment it's not, and thats the companies fault. Only letting people rent films via download for example is another way in which they have brought it on themselves. If they let people BUY a donwload of a film for say a reasonable £2.50, AND made it easier than downloading illegally, then far more people would download, and they would probably make more money overall than by trying to screw people. But the problem is, all to often, that either music or films are not available legally, and therefore people aren't prepared to wait for an "official" release and have no choice but to obtain it illegally.

Andy, Swindon,

fantastic. yet another example of our government sacrificing public privacy to help out the poor, defenseless multi-national corporations.

i wonder if Andy Burnham has done any research at all into how much illegal downloaders spend supporting the "creative industries".

last time i checked, illegal downloaders spend more, because theyre exposed to a much broader spectrum of different 'products' than those who are only aware of mainstream media promoted output. i expect he probably just consulted NBC Universal...

this kind of legislation will cost the ISPs a lot of money, and that cost will only be passed on to their customers.

the Russian system for creative industry makes so much more sense... its a poor state of affairs when Britain lags behind somewhere like Russia.

whats happened to labour? how right wing will they go??

@christopher from eastbourne, i think the widely-opposed, ongoing war on iraq is evidence enough that democracy has little sway in our country these days.

bish, lancaster, uk

Here's another way round it besides encryption.

You can buy a 250GB hard disk for about £50 now - which is enough space for as many films as most people will ever bother watching.

Get one, copy all your ill-gotten DVD-rips and mp3s to it and pass it round to your mates in a circle.

This approach has the added bonus of still working when the secret police switch off your broadband.

Mike, Ipswich, UK

Most musicians didn't (and still wouldn't) know much about the logistics of distribution. Thats when a business man stepped in and said I can help you get your music out there....and that's how the music industry was formed. The problem is that bands and public interest come and go, whereas an effective distribution networks is somewhat more enduring. This made the business man's wallet very fat.

Now that technology has made this distribution network obsolete, this is a death-cry from the industry suits, because their cash cow has been replaced by something more effective. The government doesn't like it because the technology is forcing new business models to be sought, and consequently causing economic fluctuations in that area. Governments like control.

So naturally the solution is to criminalize 10% of the population(when have the government or big business ever done anything wrong?) rather than recognize that the purpose of technology is to empower people, not organizations.

Simon, Belfast,

Why is it that so many of these comments refer to the greedy
film studios and music industry. People should believe that the creative output of writers, actors, musicians, film makers,etc. takes risk investment to nurture, develop and market so that the public can enjoy a vast array of talent, have
a choice to satisfy everybody's taste and find pleasure, relaxation and distraction from work and life's problems.
This financial investment is risky because not every film or record is a hit. Without the investment the odds are that talent will not be discovered and brought to you all.
You pay for sports shoes, games,etc. why do you expect to
get something really cheap/or for nothing and maintain the quality and choice of entertainment?
Hey, let's get everything made in China...brush up your Mandarin!!

Tom Bradley, London, UK

Doesn't the music and film industry say that a portion of the over-inflated cost of their product is to compensate for money loss from piracy? So if this proposal goes ahead and there is a reduction on illegal downloading, will the music and film industry then pass on the supposed sales return onto the consumer and reduce their prices? Before this goes ahead, it would be an incredible gesture of good faith to assure consumers that this was the case and that the weren't trying to make their fat coffers fatter! I won't hold my breath.

Mark, Nottingham, UK

Having started a Video rental business with support from the Princes Trust in a small shopping community. Expanded until we could employ local staff. Then have to sack them all and in the next few weeks we are probably going to be shut down.

All because of piracy.

Well wave your 'jolly rogers' you've brought someone down.
Feel good does it?

A lad came in the other day to our shop and asked for a job. I told him we had sacked all our staff due to piracy. He said piracy had never affected him. I said it has because you still don't have a job.

You have to be an Elite kind of stupid to think piracy is OK because 'We're only stealing of the big greedy film companies!'
When your own greed stops you from seeing local independent DVD stores closing and the loss of jobs that go with them.

john worthington, deal,

It is wholly improper to require, by force of law, all those who provide internet services to be private investigators of copyright infringement whether they want to or not. Innocent customers should not have to suffer increased prices or poorer services simply because the government has purposely failed to make sufficient investment into conventional law enforcement techniques to address the issue.

James E. Petts, Burnham, e

at least it's a lot fairer than suing people

joe, london,

And how does the ISP know it is really me downloading those files and not some kid hacking into my wifi router?

Mohammed, London, UK

So the government thinks it's ok for the public to get ripped off by touts selling tickets for concerts at overinflated prices but cannot let the pubic get something free! Wonder who's in the back pockets of some of the members who are trying to bring this in? After all as long as the industry sells a ticket they don't give two hoots what somebody eventually pays for it! But if they get something for nothing then thats a totally different ball game!

Richard Brook, Halifax, West Yorks

Rumour has it that ISPs will just watch for any and all BitTorrent protocol traffic and take it for granted that it involves illegal content, since to actually check everything would take an unfeasibly long time. Encrypted traffic will naturally fall under suspicion first under the old "If you're innocent what do you have to hide" rule.

Dave Higgs, Rugby,

The real fault is of the Movie studios.They are too lazy to ensure their security is good.Most of the good quality downloads have come straight out of a studios doors.So this means ISP`s will have to police it because they cant be bothered.It`s oscar time now and as with every year there are more top quality downloads to be had because the studio likes it`s nominated films to be out there and its almost like a self promotion for a studio with word of mouth.Also on the subject of piracy,it is not always done because of money.There has been several instances where I have wanted a TV Program on DVD,not a new one but 5-25 years old.Guess what?Not available.I even phoned a studio and asked if I could pay for a copy from their archives.No they said in a snooty tone,This is not up for release any time in the future.Hey,guess what I did as a fan who wanted it so bad.DOWNLOADED IT.Short sighted studios who leave you with no choice.Enforcing you to find it elsewhere or never view it again.

BC, Banbury, Oxon

It is NOT illegal to download or upload Copyright material in the UK. IF a copyright owner suspects that he has been damaged by someone downloading, then he may sue in the civil court. Selling copyrighted material that you do not own is illegal and called piracy. Proving that individual downloaders have damaged the copyright holder is next to impossible. Proving that individual uploaders have damaged the copyright holder is somewhat easier if they upload many copies of the same material.
Unless the law is changed radically, then ISP's will have to prove that the downloader has breached copyright and caused damage, or they will be in breach of their own contract with the user.

ian mr65, london, uk

It is time we boycotted these greedy companies. We should stop buying overpriced DVDs and CDs until the prices are reduced. A few greedy “artists” and a lot of greedy executives are trying to use our own legal system against us.
The governments should be taking action against this industry of excesses by introducing new legislation. As soon as a company has made a reasonable profit or after a much shorter time period music and films should be moved to the public domain. The government is supposed to act in the interests of the people not as a collection agency of big business. What are we to do? it is so worrying to read that David Cameron was going to propose similar measures. Are all our leaders tarred with the same brush?
In any case a lot of the material produced by the “entertainment” industry should be returned to them under the sale of goods act as it is often far short of entertainment. Of course most of us just put it on the shelf without trying to use the letter of the law.

Tony Woods, London, UK

I think this is quite pointless. WIth new bittorrent software supporting encryption and other such matters, all this will do is cost broadband companies users, and resources.

One thing, I personally believe that if you pirate something, it's probably because your weren't willing to pay for it anyway.

I think, if you think it's worth it, go and buy it. Sure, it's ridiculous how much people pirate stuff, but the genuine users shouldn't be penalized as a result.

Joel Nichols, London,

99% of people here disagree with the proposal, and with good reason.
lets see if we still live in a democracy, or do the greedy commercial giants make the laws?
lets see.....

christopher, eastbourne, england

A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

by John Perry Barlow

Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.

We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one, so I address you with no greater authority than that with which liberty itself always speaks. I declare the global social space we are building to be naturally independent of the tyrannies you seek to impose on us. You have no moral right to rule us nor do you possess any methods of enforcement we have true reason to fear.

Davos, Switzerland

February 8, 1996

Full text here - http://homes.eff.org/~barlow/Declaration-Final.html

Filling Parliament with lawyers, second rate teachers, trade unionists and political researchers atleast means they don't have any clue on technical matters.

Russ, Reading, UK

Can't believe that one of the few places where politics are much against the ID card, promote on the other hand laws that level with those of China.
Aren't they going to understand that sharing files is part of the people's privacy exactly the same as the right to meet with each other?
What is going to be the next step?, put a camera in each people's house?
Seems to me that we should start actively using cryptography to avoid this new attempt to attack our liberties.

David Fernandez, Milton Keynes, UK

If prices in the UK for CD and DVD media were on a par with the USA i suspect the problem would not be such a problem. A CD in the US itunes store is roughly $9. If you pay £9 in the UK you think you have got a decent deal. DVD prices mirror this.

But, the most annoying thing about this whole affair is the quotes from the music and film industry maintaining that illegal downloads cost them billions and billions of dollars each year. It simply doesnt. People will download various things because they are free of charge - this does not equate to them buying it if they didnt download it. The majority of people simply wouldnt part with the money. Its a bit like going to Tescos and them offering you something for free. You would take it (why wouldnt you)...but that doesnt mean you would have bought it.

I have a friend who downloads movies from time to time, but there isnt one movie he would have gone out and bought.

I think this can be addressed by lowering media prices.

Barney, Bradford , UK

This is really amusing to me & most advanced Internet users. Seriously, I'd like to see ISPs really bothering, they can't even answer a phone for about 20 - 40 minutes (on a good day).

Besides, they won't be able to do this as it'll be pretty tricky to find out what people are downloading. With a click of a button, direct downloading can add another mask and make it seem like people are downloading something like a picture of the teletubbies.

I wish the greedy music/film industry luck

Brett, Walsall, UK

Any false/mistaken allegations by ISPs will be subject to the UK's draconian libel laws?

Gordon, Hailsham,

Yes I agree with you Pat. Downloading does not harm anyone where as other things like paedophiles harm children and get away with that. Downloading keeps me off the streets where many of the people around me drink alcohol and get violent.

Andrew, Scotland,

I agree with some people that it is quite unfair to pay again and again for the same data. After all, if someone buys a DVD and wishes to rent it to his friends (whether it be online or not), then can't he simply do it!
But, anyway, once the law is out, there is nothing but to abide so better discuss now!
i heard from some computer geek friends that they are thinking of ways to use encryption to packet data transfer of this media. i myself has no idea how it is going to work but the PC geeks seems like they will find a legal solution!

John Scarsbrick, Norwich,

In order for downloading to be proved the ISP would have to inspect your traffic This would include all your e-mails, banking details, credit card details and business data sent to or from you. This would be a serious loss of privacy and could very easily lead to identity fraud/theft as the ISP employees would have access to everything required. The only other option is for the music industry, or someone else, to inform your ISP that you are suspected of downloading. Note this is suspected and not proved. This could be a great way to 'dump' on someone you have a grudge against (how about your MP). So you could get a punishment without a crime, how very British.

Len Williams, Rochester, UK

If i don't share it I am not breaking any law?? Unless it's being re-written?? I will glady take this to court if I am penalised. If I see someone commit a crime should I really be punished for it??

Adam Webb, MK, UK

Quite simply this can/will not work. Protocol Obfuscation and encryption will result in ISP's not being able to prove what is being downloaded and will result in additional load on the network. Thus creating networks so heavily secured that paedophiles and criminals (please don't use "Terrorists" they are criminals...double-speak for today's propaganda ) will utilise for their means and prove impossible for the police to monitor.

Did anyone consult the police on this matter. Or the IT industry for that matter?

At best a few thousand people will be warned/software will be modified and the numbers will return to previous levels but with additional, unexpected issues. Then we will read once more of the tax payer stumping up for the next whizz idea and the cycle repeats.

If you want to beat this you have to talk to the ISP's, the geeks, the IT industry, the police, the artist what to do. dont let some junior aid come up with a draft so they can sign off on the next 12 months work

Iain Dobson, edinburgh, uk

Most people people who work will do three weeks work and get paid for three weeks work. Hollywood does three weeks work and is paid for it over and over again - they release the same work in cinemas, on video tape, on DVD and it is broadcast numerous times on TV dacade after decade. Further, when a new video format is released people will be sold the same product they already paid for in the cinema, on video tape and on DVD, yet again.

What is a plastic DVD and cardboard wrapper materially worth? 2 pence? What is data which only exists in the ether and that can be reproduced at zero cost millions of times over materially worth? This work once, sell nothing many times over is the reson the media industry is associated with fifty bedroom mansions, limousines and private jets. That sort of unsustainable, priveliged and greedy business model which produced such ostentatious wealth in the past increasingly has to be subsidized in modern times by government oppression of the public.

Darren H., Leeds, UK

This proposed legislation is fraught with dangers. As everyone knows, the ISPs simply provide pipes between clients and servers. Irrespective of legislation, ISPs have about as much right to police what I download and access online as the Movie and Recording industries have to tell me who I can date.

Implementation of the proposed legislation will have very large unintended consequences and should be seen as a very public example of the use of lobbying and political muscle to attempt to protect a old-world business from the realities of modern-world technology.

If adopted, this legislation has very eerie similarities to the prohibitions and restrictions on Internet access mandated by the government of China.

The Recording and Movie industries should properly be told to "Go to Hell" and to figure out their own way to protect their intellectual property without passing the buck to ISPs due to their lack of technical aptitude. It is not proper to rely on government for solutions.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

With internet becoming more available through linking computers to mobile phones (at progressively more affordable prices) does the government also intend to make ISPs share their data with the mobile phone companies as well. If so, will mobile phone companies also be required to enforce the internet ban? If so I'm suspecting they probably wouldn't be too pleased about the cost implications of that.

James Prichard

James, Liverpool, Merseyside

i may not agree with piracy, but this law is absurd, its too extreme. I see my internet as an access to the world. a liberty that i am not easily going to let them take away. it is equivalent to a threat od taking away my passport, and no industry, the music industry included should be preferred over the liberty of civilians. The music industry still makes profits. It is a greedy industry, a industry that sells albums in CD format for £10.99 and complain about selling the downloadable form for £8.99, eventhough there is no physical CD, with the cost of shipping and producing involved! This makes my blood boil that the fears of the industry having preferrential treatment over civilians is finally here!! A reasonably priced downloadable format should be available, even Steve jobs said that at 79p per single the music industry is making more money per single compared to CD format!

joan, liverpool, uk

DPI (deep packet inspection) is available now and works at wire speed so it can be done.

However it costs tens of million of pounds to implement efficiently across a national network.

Who will be paying for this? Will the record industry pay? Hell no. It will be us, the broadband users with an increase in bills.

All in some failed attempt to drive us to the record store or cinema when in reality we will simply not do it.

This smacks of an industry that doesn't have any idea how to evolve. As someone said, the games industry protected itself with the inclusion of online gaming.

Artists still make millions from touring and concerts - the big issue is the record companies don't.

Distribute music for a nominal fee and provide more live entertainment. You will still be rich beyond our wildest dreams. Radiohead or Arctic Monkeys anyone?

Salty, Reading,

I Download Files illegally, i am a student, i cant afford to buy the expensive DVDs and CDs, the music industry isnt loosing money from people like me because i cannot afford them in the first place, i download them, then watch them, if i like a film/music cd enough i will go out and buy it.

this is an invasion of my privacy, and i was also under the same impression as someone above, i thought it was only illegal if i share the download or sell it to someone else.

anom, anom, anom

Speaking as someone looking to spend his life working in the music industry I sincerely hope that this law does NOT come into action. Music is an artform, not a business, and the extortionate ammount earnt by musicians has done nothing more than attract paracitic charlatans who have talent for nothing more than marketing. The industry has made a joke of music, now its musics turn to make a joke of the industry.

Make music artistic again, true musicians will be content to live off gigging, dvd & collectables sales and sponsorship... We've let greed ruin everything else already.

Vinnie Marsden, Warrington,

The government seems to think that internet access is dispensable nowadays. Have the legislators (who have probably been bullied by the Media Industry) not considered the fact that many people's work and study is dependent on the internet in some form or another, even if only for email access. Many also work from home for various reasons - family or care commitments, cutting down on travel, etc.
Therefore, I would go as far as to say that this measure of cutting off access is a violation of human rights. It is far too heavy handed, and is clearly skewed too far in favour of the film and music industries.

Perhaps the Media Industry has not considered that there may well be little to no loss of revenue to them, as many illegal downloaders would not bother to legally purchase their material even if it were somehow impossible to obtain pirate copies. They are looking for all possible means to increase revenues - perhaps as they know that the Writers strike in the US will cost them!

Richie, Buckinghamshire, UK

The UK is predicted to have 21 million broadband lines by 2013 (http://www.computing.co.uk/vnunet/news/2203915/uk-plug-21-million-broadband).
With average broadband speeds increasing and the trial of fibreops then you are talking hundreds of billions of packets flying around per second and I would love to see a machine that could possibly analyze that much data per second because it just isn't going to happen unless you had supercomputers at every IEP.

Matt, Aberdeen,

George Orwell was right after all. It's only a matter of time before the government starts bribing our children to inform on us.

Hanna, Sheffield,

All they'll succeed in doing is stopping the poorer people of this country from downloading and watching pirated movies, i'm not condoning piracy in any way but if you and your family earn the minimum wage, you cannot afford to go to the cinema or buy dvds, the film companies will see no rise in profit from this at all, the police & local councils may see a rise in bored kids hanging round street corners with nothing to do, why can't this kind of money & effort be spent on the kids instead of against them?

Robin, Stoke on Trent, UK.

This will only make a minor dent in the overall level of "piracy".

What the whole process will do is to benefit the criminals who make large sums of money from selling pirated movies/software. That market appeared to be in decline as users used their broadband to download instead of buying the stuff from their "friends" or the chinese gangs.

The industry is simply going about this the wrong way. They need to add value to the product so it is worth purchasing rather than relying on the sale of basic commodity products. Games companies have done this with providing sophisticated online communities. In the past I might have used a pirated game, but now if I really like a game I buy it because it means I will be allowed to play online.

The industry simply is not looking at this as an opportunity to innovate, they simply want to go back to the old ways. They simply can no longer do that, people will be able to get the stuff at a fraction of the price from criminals anyway.

AM, Bham, UK

I'd much rather they invested their effort in stopping Spam mail, but then that would be for the benefit of the consumer, so it's not going to happen.

MD, London,

If anything is ever going to wake people up out of their brainwashed sleep mentality, of i have nothing to hide.

this is it!

bring on the revolution, revolt!

power to the people!!!

paul mayuw, london,

This disgusts me, it just another in a long line of steps by the British government to further meddle in the lives of its citizens. So we are spied upon in our streets and on our roads, and now our free time is under threat. What next, will I have to pay a royalty to the studios when I put on a CD or play a DVD when friends come round?

Steve, Sussex,

When I was young we recorded the top 20 from the BBC on a tape recorder to avoid the cost of buying music, but still I bought some music within my budget. There was a big fuss made about illegal copying of records to tape at the time, but it was never stopped, because some things you cannot police without major intrusions into everyone's privacy. The government would do better enforcing the current laws before introducing more laws they cannot police. How about getting the increasing gun crime off our streets.

Allan Weaver, Whitchurch Shropshire, England

This is appalling- ever wondered how music company execs can afford huge houses and cars when they don't have an ounce of artistic talent?
Ever heard of the luddites...survival of the fittest?
Adapt or die.
This is business.
What we are seeing is the government effectively planning to prop up a lameduck industry. Whose employers have got FILTHY rich off the back of the poor.

Dave, northampton, uk

"Broadband companies who fail to enforce the “three-strikes” regime would be prosecuted and suspected customer's details could be made available to the courts."

Switch off that PC .... unplug it and heave it out of the window...say no to Big Bro' , say no to spying ISP Providers, a) You will get your life back and b) you can listen to your friends music!

Ian, Ashtead, Surrey

So out of some 10 million broadband user for the uk, if 1/4 are found downloading or receiving copyrighted material, that is going to be a dent in the profits of the ISP's, google, etc?