Inquiry muddies waters on filesharing

15:32 | Thursday October 15, 2009

In its report published today, apComms suggests the “current policy-making process on what should be done about illegal filesharing” should be halted and only restarted once the EU has determined what pan-European law will be.

The Can We Keep Our Hands Off The Net? inquiry suggests that the disconnection of end users should not be made, “because this is not in the slightest bit consistent with policies that attempt to promote eGovernment”.

It is also damning about the role of the music industry, which it blames for being too slow in getting its act together in making alternative legal services available, although it concedes that evidence presented to apComms members including Derek Wyatt MP and John Robertson MP predates the Government’s recent consultation into how to deal with P2P.

However, there appears to be some confusion over semantics. BPI director of public affairs Richard Mollet says that the industry has not actually called for disconnection. “We are asking for temporary account suspension, which is different from disconnection,” he says.

He also criticises the suggestion that the UK Government should wait for Europe to get its act together – something that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson appears to agree with as he presses ahead with pushing through the Digital Economy Bill with laws relating to filesharing. “The Government has its own timetables and shouldn’t wait,” says Mollet.

But Mollet is encouraged by another recommendation in the report. This states that ISPs should take proactive steps to detect and remove inappropriate content from their services. Mollet has been assured by Wyatt that “inappropriate content” relates to copyrighted material. “The fact that it recognises ISPs take increased responsibility for what goes on its network is positive,” adds Mollet.

apComms announced its inquiry in April and took evidence from parties in July on issues such as whether ISPs should be forced to act on “bad traffic” and whether there is a need for new initiatives to deal with online piracy.