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TV and film stars campaign to stop piracy
Wednesday 17th December 2008, by Daniel King
Some of the top UK film and television stars have signed an open letter to the Times to urge internet service providers (ISPs) to stop piracy.
The group said that their output provides entertainment to millions of viewers and the industry supports tens of thousands of workers.
It added that the sector also attracts foreign investment, wins awards and creates billions in revenue.
Those who signed expressed concerns that the successes of the creative industries in the UK are undermined by illegal file sharing.
Among those who signed the document were Sir Alan Parker, Kenneth Branagh, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Terry Jones, Charlie Higson, Mike Watts, Simon Nye and Peter Moffat.
They noted that the UK is the leading nation for illegal downloading, accounting for 25 per cent of internet piracy.
More than six million people regularly file share, while popular shows are downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.
The actors and filmmakers who signed the document asked the government to support the industry by ensuring that ISPs play their part in preventing internet piracy.
"Internet service providers have the ability to change the behaviour of those customers who illegally distribute content online. They have the power to make significant change and to prevent their infrastructure from being used on a wholesale scale for illegal activity," they said.
The group ended the statement by saying that ISPs which fail to act "responsibly" should be "compelled to do so".
Business and technology consultancy firm Detica recently called on the UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to focus on collaborating with ISPs rather than on enforcement when dealing with file sharing.
Categories: Broadband, Broadband Products, Internet Security
