Virgin starts to send out warning letters
According to a recent report Virgin Media has been sending out hundreds of warning letters to customers warning them over downloading illegal music over file sharing sites
The communications giant Virgin Media has been writing to hundreds of customers warning them about illegal music downloads over file sharing sites, according to a recent report. Virgin is running a ten week campaign in conjunction with the BPI in order to provide Internet users with more information and to educate them about illegal downloads. Around eight hundred letters are thought to have been sent out.
The BPI has stated that thousands more letters will be sent out as part of the campaign, and it added that some Internet Service Providers may end up being taken to court as the industry tried to clamp down on illegal downloads. The BPI is trying to encourage all ISPs to sign up to a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy, where illegal downloaders will be given two warning over their activities and will then face disconnection if they continue to share copyright files.
Officials from Virgin have confirmed that nobody has yet been disconnected, and that at present the letters are being sent only to warn and educate consumers. It is the only Internet Service Provider to have signed up to the three strikes policy so far. However, BPI officials have said that they are prepared to take legal action against ISPs if necessary to back up the campaign.
However, consumers are not happy with the letters that have been sent out by Virgin Media, and one customer stated: “It’s doomed to fail. Virgin Media will lose a lot of customers over this because people don’t like to be accused of stealing music over their morning coffee. It made me feel betrayed. I was under the impression that I paid Virgin Media money to keep my internet connection protected and safe.”
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God i pay for 20 meg get 3 meg at peek times playing online is like going back to 56k modem and jesus dont even try to download music from itunes which i pay for i work all day so i use my intrnet at night not no more whats the point in paying for something that you dont get when i singhed up when NTL first came about there was never anything in the contract stateing caping so why are they caping me i never singhed a contract with virgin so are they wrong in caping me ??/?
Hands up those who think Paul McCartney is worth £850 million. Yes, you at the back ! Speak a bit louder please Heather.
The record companies have been ripping off the public for years. The cost of a blank CD is peanuts, and once you have a master copy of “The Beatles” or any other piece of music, it’s almost like a licence to print money producing millions of copies. The record companies never had it so good, and now the bubble has finally burst. All together now, “Three cheers for modern technology”. And “Three cheers for Steve Jobs and the iPod”.
I agree with one of the commenters, why do Isp’s offer unlimited downloads and higher speeds when you cant download copyrighted material? just because virgin media went along with Bpi doesnt mean they agree with it, i think they knew they were the first target
It’s simple, reduce the cost of a CD/DVD and many more will prefer the easier, legal way to gain access to their favourite music!
If they think that lowering the cost will reduce profits, then they’re obviously thinking about money first, then the law. In fact, I doubt they’d lose money, but would gain as many would buy it if it’s cheaper and easier to get. More customers = more money.
Unfortunately, I doubt they will reduce the price, and if anything they will increase it as many downloaders have no other choice to get music than to buy it legally.
all the record companys rip us off with over priced music when blank tape came on to the market many years ago they all said it would be the death of music,yet the same companys that say downloaders are killing music are selling blank cd’s and dvd’s make up your mind record companys if you dont want us downloading your stuff dont make and sell the software for us to do it , you cant have it both ways
How would you like it if your profession is writing music and all your hard work is stolen as soon as it goes on the web.
well if virgin r going to cut people off for downloading then whats the point of them doing a 20mb when u can not use it. its not the down loaders fault any way. broadband is for u to upload and download u pay the provider there money to use there services so say i got 20mb witch has unlimited downloading then there going to send me a letter saying u have been downloading music and films and if u carry on we will cut u off. well then they arnt providing the customer what they state as t stated unlimited downloading so it means u can download what ever u want and for as long as u want u pay 4 it. its just a new scam to me and if it gose that way then the internet will come extincted no 1 will touch it and the providers will lose god nows how much money and customers
No matter what they do, the more determined downloaders will find a way around it. And so they should.
For decades the music industry enjoyed huge profits by ripping off consumers, they ignored the digital threat and voila, sales collapse.
People now have the technology to fight back now, so too bad.
Record companies are irrelevant now, get over it.