British music industry targets ISPs

Stepping up its campaign against illicit file-swappers, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has moved from targeting individual users to putting pressure on their ISPs. The BPI has just announced that 59 accounts suspected of large-scale piracy have been reported to two ISPs, which are expected to deal with the issue.

The ISPs offer no guarantee that anything will be done, but the BPI wants to move faster against suspected file-swappers than is possible in the court system.

Looking at their court records, one can see why they would prefer to change strategy. The BPI has filed only 139 charges against file uploaders—merely a drop in the bucket. Only four of these cases have actually proceeded to trial, while another 111 have been settled out of court for a few thousand pounds each.

The BPI now gathers IP addresses and supporting documentation on egregious offenders and simply turns it over to the ISPs for action.

Neither Tiscali nor Cable & Wireless will be excited about devoting resources of their own to sifting through complaints from the BPI, but neither do the ISPs want to be portrayed as looking the other way while users hoist the Jolly Roger on their networks.