Prior to the anticipated June 16 UK report by Lord Carter on how to combat online piracy, Channel 4 CEO Andy Duncan along with executives from BSkyB and Virgin Media are now helping the U.K. government brainstorm ways to stifle Internet piracy.
If no other actions are effectively working, BSkyB CEO Jeremy Darroch and Virgin Media Neil Berkett hope Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will have the power to prosecute suspected pirates. Furthermore, executives from Universal Music, Sony Pictures and Premier League also are discussing possible deals with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory (BERR) and Digital Britain Report Steering Board, with piracy a major topic for both sides.
"It is now time for the government to be bold and to offer full and proper protection for the music and other content-producing industries in the UK," former BBC director general Lord John Birt said.
Combatting piracy has transformed from a private issue into more of a public issue, as copyright trade groups continue to seek government support for new legislation aimed at shutting down online pirates. The government previously sat on the sidelines and watched the copyright groups do their own business, while only becoming involved to crack major piracy rings.
Instead of filing lawsuits, copyright groups are now looking to put increased pressures on ISPs, who should be held more accountable for the actions of their users, according to government watch groups. In the UK and several other European nations, the copyright groups and ISPs are now willing to work more closely with one another to try and stifle the activities of people sharing copyrighted movies, music and other content.
The recent convictions of the four founders behind The Pirate Bay, in which Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Kolmissoppi and Carl Lundstrom were sentenced to one-year in jail and fines up to $3.6 million, has put the spotlight on ISPs and the government yet again.
