That was one of the conclusions found in the interim Digital Britain report?; ?a long-awaited? ?88 -page document addressing a vast range of issue surrounding communications,? ?entertainment,? ?and digital services in the? ?UK.?
As speculated,? ?the Government is warming to the idea of establishing a Rights Agency that will help to enforce ISPs to monitor its users if they are suspected of pirating various entertainment products,? ?including videogames.?
“New technological forms of piracy are being manifested at an increasing pace,?” ?said the report,? ?which opened with a claim that the? ?UK’s digital economy accounts for around? ?8%? ?of GDP.? “?There is now a growing expectation that content can be found and shared for free.? ?There is a corresponding resistance to paying for content,? ?or accepting that an inability to pay means an inability to access the content.?”
“This has affected different sectors to different extents,?” ?read the report.? “?Music is most exposed.? ?Film,? ?games,? ?broadcasters and the publishing industry are also increasingly being affected.?”
This was the prelude to the Government’s claim that it is now talking to ISP firms and rights holders on how best to establish the Rights Agency.? ?The government stated,? ?however,? ?that the purpose of the Rights Agency is to help unite the digital sector against piracy,? ?and urged that both ISPs and rights holders cooperate.?
“It may be that such an independent,? ?objective body? [?such as the Rights Agency?] ?may be better able to surmount the mutual tension between rights-holders,? ?publishers,? ?search engines and other content aggregators,? ?the ISPs and the underlying communications network operators.?”
Under the proposed legislation,? ?broadband providers will also have to write to customers who pirate material and warn them that their actions are not legal.? ?Clearly this is hoped to be a deterrent,? ?as the report states that over two thirds of file-sharers change their behaviour after receiving a warning letter from their ISP.? ?The report also suggested that? ?the personal details of who are termed? “?serious repeat infringers?” ?can be passed to rights holders via court order.?
“We also recognise that,? ?while industry co-operation should be at the core of this,? ?such a Rights Agency may need to have the power to act to ensure that enforcement measures are effective and proportionate,?” ?read the report.?