Plans by the United Kingdom government to impose a three-strike policy against Internet users who “illegally” download their music files is now under fire from groups of musicians, songwriters and other producers who strongly opposed the said law.
Independent musicians and songwriters are now blaming Business Secretary Lord Mandelson for the said proposal, which aims to cut off the connection of users who will be found guilty of violating copyright laws by illegally downloading music files for the third time.
However, the plan was not merely under Mandelson alone. Giant record labels and movie companies have “forced” governments into implementing the so-called Three Strike Law.
The group identified these music companies, which are pressing for the government to implement the rule, namely Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal, and Sony Music.
Meanwhile, the group said that movie companies who are forcing the government to implement the “Three Strikes Law” were Time-Warner, Columbia, Fox, Paramount, Disney, and MGM.
The group said that the policy is anti-P2P, anti-consumer, and anti-file-sharing was specifically designed by the music industry and the movie makers to put the blame to Internet Service Providers and the innocent users.
The accusation stemmed after an alleged secret meeting between Mandelson and Hollywood Capo David Geffen.
The group said that immediately after the closed-door talks between the two, the secretary of state for business ordered the legislative body to beef up sanctions against the offenders.
But Mandelson denied any deal involving the music industry, saying that what he is doing will be for the benefit of both users and the music labels in the long run.
File-sharers earlier accused the government and the music labels of targeting innocent Internet users, citing a huge loophole in the implementation of the law.
They said that violators can easy hack into authentic accounts and use it to avoid being detected, which in turn may put the blamed to the unwitting users.