Illegal downloaders face disconnection

The Irish divisions of EMI, Sony BMG Music, Universal Music and Warner Music have settled their action against Eircom, which has been running in the High Court for the past eight days.
In an official statement, the Irish Recorded Music Association say: “The proceedings have been settled on an amicable basis with both sides expressing satisfaction with the outcome. Both parties have agreed on a joint approach under which they’ll work closely together to end the abuse of the internet by peer to peer copyright infringers.
“The settlement reached between the parties provides that the record companies will supply eircom with the IP addresses of all persons who they detect illegally uploading or downloading copyright works on a peer to peer basis. eircom has agreed to implement a graduated process in which it will inform its broadband subscriber that the subscriber’s IP address has been detected infringing copyright and warn the subscriber that unless the infringement ceases they will be disconnected.”
The statement closes by noting 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.”
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, who say in their 2009 Digital Music Report that 95% of music downloads are illegal, have already given their backing to IRMA and eircom’s graduated response scheme.
“Co-operation from internet service providers holds the key to this problem -– something that is increasingly accepted by governments internationally,” the IFPI maintain. “In 2008 a tipping point was reached, with governments in France and the UK leading the way in looking to ISPs to help bring piracy on their networks under control. In France a draft Creation and Internet Law sets up a system of ‘graduated response’ by which ISPs will write to persistent copyright abusers to educate and warn them about their actions, as a last resort sanctioning them with loss of internet access for between one and 12 months.
“Research suggests the graduated response scheme will be effective. 72% of UK music consumers would stop illegally downloading if told to do so by their ISP. 74% of French consumers agree internet account disconnection is a better approach than fines and criminal sanctions.”
An alternate take on the matter was offered recently by Island Records supremo Chris Blackwell who told Hot Press: “I don’t agree with calling your consumers thieves. If technology has evolved whereby people are able to access what they wish, then it’s the fault of the record companies not to have foreseen and done something about it. They could have done it when (the original) Napster existed, but because they’re so set in their ways they decided to burn it down. It was a site that had 60 million members, but because they couldn’t work out a deal they put it out of business. So I don’t agree with that at all.”
What is clear is that illegal downloading is having a detrimental effect on music retailing, with Dublin’s Road Record citing it as one of the key reasons for their impending closure.