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1.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:13pm

   
   

   Some would view it as not propping up a failed business model (although that may in fact be true) but one of just enforcing the law. Until you change the law, companies will push for the law to actually be enforced.

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2.  

   Virgin self-sacrifice

   

   Crosbie Fitch (profile), Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:15pm

   
   

   Think of it as a Virgin self-sacrifice.
   
   All their users will leave them in droves and they can thus demonstrate the folly of this policy.

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3.  

   Re:

   

   Mike (profile), Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:23pm

   
   

   Some would view it as not propping up a failed business model (although that may in fact be true) but one of just enforcing the law. Until you change the law, companies will push for the law to actually be enforced.
   
   So enforce the law properly: if it's a civil matter, have the companies sue the folks responsible. If it's a criminal matter, have the police take on the case.
   
   In this case, they're asking a 3rd party to take on the situation.
   
   So, no, it's quite different than just "enforcing the law."

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4.  

   Re: Re:

   

   Matt, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:31pm

   
   

   I agree with you. This is just the music companies complaining to the government about people sharing music/movies online, whether its downloading from a P2P or even going as far as saying that streaming music/movies on sites like yahoo is illegal. The ISPs should fight back. This is just governments and the music/movie industry trying to bully someone else into doing the work for them.
   
   You know that once these people are kicked off virgins internet, that the music/movie companies will want to get their IP address, name, etc so they can sue them for illegal downloading

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5.  

   Re:

   

   Ima Fish, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:47pm

   
   

   "Some would view it as not propping up a failed business model (although that may in fact be true) but one of just enforcing the law. Until you change the law, companies will push for the law to actually be enforced."
   
   What law are you talking about? Did you even read the blurb from above? The blurb said, "The UK gov't then issued a very public threat that ISPs had better start kicking file sharers off the internet, or it would pass a law requiring them to do so."
   
   In other words, there is no law to be enforced!

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6.  

   You're partially right

   

   Bill, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 1:07pm

   
   

   While I'd agree that it's not the responsibility of an ISP to monitor the actions of their customers, there's no way I can make the judgment leap that the reason people pirated music on P2P networks is because they couldn't buy the songs online legally.

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7.  

   Why is anyone surprised?

   

   comboman, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 1:08pm

   
   

   Didn't you know Virgin is also a record company?

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8.  

   It appears

   

   mike allen, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 1:12pm

   
   

   Tiscali tried this last year without telling anyone, (like customers) they had a list of "offenders" supplied by the record companies all 19 of them 4 of those nineteen lost their connection. Hang on didn't the record labels say over 70% of people download unauthorized content does that mean tiscali have only 26 customers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   I hope Branson's company can afford to lose about 2.5 million customers (glad Im with a different devil.

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9.  

   Re: You're partially right

   

   mike allen, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 1:31pm

   
   

   Just for starters try to buy a Beatles track on line legally!!!!!!!

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10.  

    Re: Why is anyone surprised?

    

    mike allen, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 1:34pm

    
    

    In name only Branson had to sell it when he set up virgin radio.

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11.  

    Re: Why is anyone surprised?

    

    UK Boi, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 2:53pm

    
    

    EX-Music company, they are in the process of getting out Thank god.
    
    NVD, no comcast over here :)

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12.  

    Re:

    

    GT, Mar 31st, 2008 @ 6:46pm

    
    

    I thought the infringement was uploading, not downloading?
    
    Besides, this is a civil matter, not a legal one.

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13.  

    Re: Re: Re:

    

    PaulT (profile), Apr 1st, 2008 @ 12:39am

    
    

    I've been predicting that as soon as this sort of thing starts to become widespread, the next major worm attack will be one that automatically downloads MP3s to peoples systems. The ISPs will stop enforcing these rules if it means that 50% of their client base is "infringing" without being aware of it.
    
    I'd also predict that Virgin will see an exodus of its tech-savvy consumer base at some point soon. Not because the people leaving are "pirates" but because they don't appreciate being spied on by service providers. It also depends on how they do the monitoring - protocol? (WoW and Linux users won't be happy at piracy accusations over downloading patches and ISOs) filenames? (what if the songs are legal but the filenames are similar to an illegal file?) bandwidth? (again, gamers won't be happy...). The article suggests that the IFPI will be doing the monitoring to begin with, so if they're as accurate as the RIAA data, it'll fail very quickly as innocent people complain.

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14.  

    Re: Virgin self-sacrifice

    

    Jez, Apr 1st, 2008 @ 2:38pm

    
    

    Problem is that most of Virgins customers are from the old NTL (Virgin took them over) ... it means they are on Cable. It would be difficult (but not impossible) to simply switch to BT.. Someone would have to install a phone line.
    
    Who knows how to encrypt my .torrents ? ;)

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15.  

    Re: .....

    

    Leo, Apr 4th, 2008 @ 11:15am

    
    

    File sharing isn't illegal......sharing software, movies, and music is.......so technically they setting themselves up to lose alot of customers.......

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16.  

    

    Danny, Dec 14th, 2008 @ 9:10pm

    
    

    Hi, I agree with "mike allen". Yes, he is correct.
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17.  

    

    Danny, Dec 14th, 2008 @ 9:10pm

    
    

    Hi, I agree with "mike allen". Yes, he is correct.
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