Ofcom unveils anti-piracy policy

[stridemat]

Ofcom have announced plans to create a code of practice as to which ISP's are required to record the names and number of infringements of those who illegally download.

I do not have a problem with this in principle, but is it not just going to encourage those who do pirate, to go 'underground' and take measure to encrypt and hide what they are doing.

Also it will provide easier access for other public bodies to find out your browsing habitats. 1984 here we come!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10183820.stm

 

[Hellhammer]

Are they allowed to do that? Just thinking that there are some privacy laws and this might break them. Anyway, it doesn't help by much as you can still pretty easily download through anonymous Kazakhstan proxy server to keep your ass covered

 

[stridemat]

Or iPredator....

If the UK Government can receive money from lobbyists in order for them to get their way, then they will. Give it time.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Music firms and movie studios can request details from the list so that they can decide whether to start their own action against serial infringers.

This is kind of disturbing- so Music firms and movie studios are allowed to gather information from ISPs on their customers?

Considering the ridiculous penalties sometimes enforced on copyright infringement (I believe copying a movie can carry a $250,000 penalty in the U.S., and with bittorrent they could likely argue that you spread it to a lot of people if you seeded), this is especially scary.

 

[Hellhammer]

This is kind of disturbing- so Music firms and movie studios are allowed to gather information from ISPs on their customers?

Considering the ridiculous penalties sometimes enforced on copyright infringement (I believe copying a movie can carry a $250,000 penalty in the U.S., and with bittorrent they could likely argue that you spread it to a lot of people if you seeded), this is especially scary.

Indeed. But don't the music and movie companies usually offer you deal that if you pay few grands, they won't sue you? If you decline, they'll sue you and demand even more, usually hundreds of thousands, right? (Because they know that nobody can pay the price and court cases are extremely expensive)

 

[flopticalcube]

How would encrypted P2P fair under this? Don't most BT apps allow for only encrypted traffic?

 

[stridemat]

How would encrypted P2P fair under this? Don't most BT apps allow for only encrypted traffic?

They do have some sort of encryption, but as to how successful this would be under scrutiny I don't know. I would guess that it will stop your ISP knowing exactly what you are downloading, all it would tell them is that you are consuming a lot of bandwidth. As I said in my OP, by effectively making it a necessity for an ISP to keep records, they are driving those who download to take methods to make it harder for them to be caught.