File sharers could lose broadband

Internet users who download films or TV programmes that have been pirated could soon find that they will lose the right to have a broadband connection altogether if new rules being drawn up by the government are approved.

The industry are putting a lot of pressure on governments and ISP’s to prevent the file sharing culture that has built up over the years, to the extent that in 2005 the UK film council estimate that over £800 million was lost due to piracy.

In France the law has been changed in which persistent downloader’s of pirated material can have their broadband access taken away from them. Hopefully there are warnings etc before this happens and that the service is just not taken away and with no appeal etc.