UK Government to Curb Online Piracy

In an effort to curb online piracy, the UK government has announced it will slow down Internet service of illegal file-sharers who will download copyrighted materials including movies, TV shows, software, music, games, and other applications.

Instead of cutting off the Internet service, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said during a conference with music companies that slowing down the connection is the “preferred option” of the government, according to BBC report.

The “three strikes bill”, a proposed law to deter people from downloading illegal copies of media, is not a viable solution to the problem, according to some critics who said that this might punish even those who have not committed the crime since a single computer usually has more than one user.

This proposed bill will allow authorities to cut off the Internet connection of users who have downloaded copyrighted materials for the third time.

Meanwhile, the UK government said it will find other ways to tackle the growing problem of digital piracy aggravated by the advancement in the Internet technology including the controversial bittorrent protocol which supports faster transfer of files without choking the online traffic.

A government official also said that cutting off the Internet connection is not a good “option” since this communication media has become as important as basic necessities such as electricity and water.

In France, lawmakers are debating over the passage of “three strikes bill” which is supported by President Nicolas Sarkovsky.  According to rumors, the president’s wife, who is a former actress, is the one convincing him to support such law.