Website blocking dropped by government

The UK government has decided to drop plans to block websites that allow broadband users to access copyright infringing material following a review by communications regulator, Ofcom.

It has been revealed that the UK government is dropping plans to block websites that give broadband users access to copyright infringing material. The decision follows a review that was carried out by the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom, and the change was announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable.

Internet Service Providers had expressed their concern over the fact that they could be made to take down websites that copyright owners said were infringing their intellectual property rights. The blocking of websites became a key part of the Digital Economy Act. However, recently the Motion Picture Association took court action that resulted in BT having to block access to a site called newzbin2, which they said was an infringing website and this action was taken without the use of the Digital Economy Act.

Cable said that other legal avenues had been opened up by the Newzbin case, stating: “We’ve discovered that the drafting of the original laws, which took place a year or so ago, were not tight. There are test cases being fought in the courts, so we’re looking at other ways of achieving the same objective, the blocking objective to protect intellectual property in those cases, but in a way that’s legally sound.”

However, the decision has been criticised by UK Music, which represents musicians and record labels in the UK. An official from UK Music said: “Who wants to tell the 80% of music businesses that employ fewer than five people, and the thousands of artists who self-finance the production of their own albums, that to enjoy the protection of the law, all they need now is to have millions of pounds and spend years in court to protect their work.”

Do you think that these plans should have been dropped by the government?

Source – BBC