The Government has been asked to consider prison sentences not only for those who distribute copyright-infringing material online but also those that download such content.

The idea of “some sort of custodial sentence for persistent offenders” was put forward by the Prime Minister’s Intellectual Property Adviser, Mike Weatherley MP during a debate on the UK’s Intellectual Property Bill earlier this week.

Weatherley also recommended withdrawing internet rights from lawbreakers, stopping advertising and payment facilities on websites that host illegal content ...