Will anti-piracy action affect the behaviour of broadband users?

Whilst the measures that have been outlined in the Digital Economy Act have been aimed at curbing online piracy some officials believe that it will do little to change the behaviour of many broadband users.

The controversial Digital Economy Act is still causing as much controversy now as it was before it was rushed into law shortly before the general election in May. Proposals have now been drafted explaining the action that larger Internet Providers will have to take if customers are suspected of online piracy, and this includes sending out a series of warning letters followed by temporary account suspension.

However, there are a number of officials that are not convinced that the proposed measures to tackle online piracy will actually do any good. A recent report has been released by media law firm Wiggin LLP and Entertainment Media Research. The results of the study showed that thirty four percent of those that were involved in online piracy said that they would not change their behavior even with action such as threatening letters and temporary suspension.

Another thirty two percent of respondents in the survey said that they would simply hide their IP address so that their activities could be hidden. Only twenty two percent said that they would monitor their internet accounts as a result of measures outlined in the Digital Economy Act.

One official said: “There are very few examples of legislation having an effect on piracy. What the industry needs to focus on is getting content out there quicker, making content more readily available. Illegal downloading sites will keep emerging quickly. So we need to focus on premium services with ad-funded streaming.”

Source – Variety