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
FAX = +44 191 222 8232  URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell

-------------------------------------------
Archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com