British ISPs Must Identify File Sharers

By Ed Oswald | Published March 11, 2005, 12:38 PM

British record companies applauded Friday's ruling in court that gave them the right to obtain the identities of people who use file sharing programs from Internet service providers. The labels were looking for the identities of 31 persons suspected of uploading large numbers of illegal files onto various P2P services.

"Today's result is a blow for illegal uploaders who believe that the law simply does not apply to them," Geoff Taylor, general counsel for the British Phonographic Industry, a music trade group, told reporters.

ISPs will have two full weeks to comply with the High Court ruling. According to BPI lawyers, when the names are received, they plan to start contacting the defendants and offer to settle out of court if possible. The approach is similar to one used in the United States by the RIAA.

Taylor said that through their initial cases with P2P they found out that file sharers come from "all walks of life."

Record labels monitor file swapping on networks by recording the IP addresses of users sharing copyrighted content. After obtaining this information, they will either approach the ISP or go to court to obtain the identity of the user.

Comments

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The only reason for this being set is money!

The guys at the top were to slow! They only figured it out when it was hitting there bank balance.

Come on guys ppl have been doing this for years and its only now the fat CATS are getting of there rump! due to them losing weight with the lose of money to feed there expensive taste! arrr shame only McDonalds for you now and not crayfish imported from mars!

It is illegal i know but there making ppl out to be terrorists.
No one has the right to browes through personel details, in which we sign a contract with our ISP not to give details out i might add! Now that breach of CONTRACT by the way hmmmm lawsuite!! rah loads of money!!!!!
sod this im off downloading :P

ps
If i might add just one more comment ...
these so called criminals are only trying to live, no job pays enough money in the uk even to support one person let alone familys ie mine in a house thats small (2 bed)that costs £110.000!!
I have to work 50 yrs to pay the morgage off!!

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Given whats happening in this country of late its no surprise. If we can keep people locked up without trials, what does privacy matter?

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"If we can keep people locked up without trials, what does privacy matter?"

Criminals have no 'right of privacy' !

Copyright violators are digital terrorists. We need to detain them indefinately at Guantanamo without trial or lawyers.

There to be interrogated Abu Ghraib style by agents of the Recording Industry Association of America.

The Computer Rodent

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so assumed guilt now overrules innocent until PROVEN guilty? Gads, I hate the cold but Canada is starting to look more and more appealing. at least they still make a small effort to protect personal privacy and individual rights

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Good satire, Data Rat!

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"Good satire, Data Rat!"

Yeah, it sort of evokes the image of naked file-sharers in a pyramid.

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"I hate the cold but Canada is starting to look more and more appealing"

Cuba is a LOT warmer, and you sound like you need a government all-expense paid vacation in Guantanamo !

The DataRat

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It's called the Privacy Act.

Individual rights get protected when a Government *isn't* owned by special interest lobbies and large companies.

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