[IP] Carphone Warehouse's Dunstone will not play 'internet police'

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

________________________________________
From: Brian Randell [Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk]
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 6:44 AM
To: David Farber
Subject: Carphone Warehouse's Dunstone will not play 'internet police'

Hi Dave:

For IP, if you wish - from today's (London) Times newspaper
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3680998.ece

>Carphone Warehouse's Dunstone will not play 'internet police'
>
>Charles Dunstone, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse
>Dan Sabbagh, Media Editor
>
>Charles Dunstone, the chief executive of Carphone Warehouse, has
>said that he would refuse to disconnect internet users caught
>illegally downloading copyright music and other items.
>
>The Government is trying to persuade internet service providers to
>reach agreement with the BPI, the body that represents the music
>industry, to agree a 'three strikes and out' policy where people
>caught breaching copyright will have their connection cut after the
>third transgression.
>
>However, the proposal is controversial because it requires internet
>providers to monitor what their customers do, to discover if they
>are engaged in any illegal downloading.
>
>Carphone operates the Talk Talk service, Britain's third biggest
>internet service provider, and in a statement Mr Dunstone's company
>said: "Talk Talk rejects music industry threats and refuses to
>become internet police".
>It said the proposal would "impinge on customers rights" and
>"restrict freedom to use the internet".
>
>In response, the BPI said that Carphone was either seeking " to
>misrepresent our position, or just doesn't get it". It said it
>wanted internet providers to act on information that is provided to
>them, and said it "firmly believe in an internet where property
>rights are respected, and creativity is fairly rewarded".
>
>Other internet providers, notably Virgin Media, have appeared more
>willing to co-operate. But without the support of all major
>providers it is hard to see how the proposal can go ahead, unless
>the Government makes good on a threat to legislate if the industry
>cannot agree.


cheers

Brian


--
School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
EMAIL = Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk   PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
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