Digital Economy Bill could receive overhaul by coalition government

The controversial Digital Economy Bill, which was rushed into law just before the dissolution of parliament, could receive an overhaul in the near future courtesy of the new coalition government.

The Digital Economy Bill has been causing extreme controversy since it was first proposed by the Labour party, with one particular area of the Bill relating to how illegal file sharers would be dealt with causing the most controversy. Whilst copyright owners were pushing for measures such as disconnection and fines for suspected file sharers the plans outlined in the Digital Economy Bill were slated by Internet Service Providers, campaigners, and consumers themselves.

According to recent reports the Liberal Democrats are now seeking to repeal some of the most controversial measures that form the Digital Economy Bill, and are said to be seeking approval from Tory coalition partners. The Lib Dems want to look at a number of the more controversial areas of the law with a view to making amendments, and this includes the part relating to the disconnection of suspected file sharers.

A Lib Dem conference took place earlier this week, and here delegates urged minister from the party to “take all possible steps to ensure the repeal of those sections of the Digital Economy Act 2010 which are inconsistent with policy motion ‘Freedom, creativity and the internet’.

Many Internet providers have been up in arms over the measures that they have to take as dictated in the Digital Economy Bill, although the UK communications regulator Ofcom revealed recently that it was excluding smaller Internet Service Provides that had fewer than four hundred thousand subscribers from having to adhere to some of the regulations in the Bill.

Source – Telegraph