Broadband providers describe Eircom deal as "draconian"

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators (ALTO) are stressing that they’re not party to the recently announced agreement between eircom and the Irish wings of EMI, Sony, Warner and Universal.
Describing the settlement as “unprecedented”, ALTO Chairman Ronan Lupton says: “As the agreement between eircom and the record companies was a direct action against eircom it is not enforceable on Ireland’s other broadband providers. While we obviously do not condone illegal downloading or any illegality on or over the internet, we firmly disapprove of any draconian measures that would compromise the privacy, speed or services offered to broadband users. We do not need measures to further impede the development of next generation broadband in Ireland.”
ALTO’s members – who include BT Ireland, Magnet Networks, NTL, Chorus, Smart Telecom, Budget Telecom, Cable & Wireless, Colt Telecom, Complete Networks, Digiweb, ESB Telecoms, Verizon and 3 Play Plus – might not have any choice in the matter given the Irish Recorded Music Association’s assertion that “the record companies have agreed with eircom that they will take all necessary steps to put similar agreements in place with all other internet service providers in Ireland.”