Copyright Enforcement - Mixed Messages
It has been a busy week for statements about enforcing on-line copyright, though no clear direction has yet emerged. In the UK the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport told a parliamentary select committee that the Government would not require ISPs to disconnect their customers without a court order; on the other hand, according to the Guardian, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills seems to have made no reference to court orders when telling a Creative Industries' Forum that, from 2011, alleged infringers would receive two warnings and then be disconnected. Meanwhile, according to the Times, the police and intelligence services are concerned that threats of disconnection will result in increased use of encryption, making it harder to conduct investigations on-line.
The Digital Economy Bill, due to be published next month, may make things a little clearer though there is expected to be considerable debate in Parliament over its terms.
