Leading UK industry executives have slammed Government plans to block websites carrying pirated material.
In a letter printed in the Financial Times, Tom Alexander, chief executive of Orange, led an army of industry leaders against amendment 120A of the Digital Economy Bill, which would make ISPs block websites accused of hosting pirated music or video without trial.
"This amendment not only significantly changes the injunctions procedure in the UK but will lead to an increase in internet service providers blocking websites accused of illegally hosting copyrighted material without cases even reaching a judge," the letter said.
"The amendment seeks to address the legitimate concerns of rights-holders but would have unintended consequences that far outweigh any benefits it could bring."
The last minute amendment was made to the bill in the House of Lords last week by a pair of Conservative and Liberal Democrat Lords, following the dropping of the controversial clause 17.
It is claimed to target sites with a "substantial proportion" of illegal content but must consider any steps the site has taken to stop copyright infringement before trying to take it down.
However, this is not good enough for Alexander, who was backed up by other industry heavyweights such as Ian Livingstone, chief executive of BT, Neil Berkett, chief executive of Virgin Media and Matt Brittin, Managing Director of Google UK and Ireland. Actor and tech enthusiast Stephen Fry also joined the list of supporters.
The letter claims that there is a "myriad [of] legal, technical and practical issues to reconcile before this can be considered a proportionate and necessary public policy option" but adds that some of these issues may never be reconciled.
It concluded that to push this bill through at the end of a parliament without consulting both consumers and the industry was "very poor lawmaking" and the affects on free speech on the internet could damage the UK's reputation as a place to conduct online business.
-
Should AI PCs be part of your next hardware refresh?AI PCs are fast becoming a business staple and a surefire way to future-proof your business
-
Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI launch brace of new channel initiativesNews Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI have announced the launch of two new channel growth initiatives focused on the managed security service provider (MSSP) space and AWS Marketplace.
-
"Google should take the lead" in online piracyNews David Cameron's intellectual property advisor says action against piracy should start with the search engine
-
Government plans to get 2.7 million people online by 2016News BT, EE, Google and Microsoft to help tackle digital exclusion
-
BT Windows 8 Enterprise case studySponsored British Telecom boosts field staff efficiency with Windows 8 Enterprise solution
-
Windows apps tailored for your businessSponsored In addition to the thousands of apps ready to download from the Windows Store, businesses can create apps that serve their individual needs
-
Google and ISPs efforts won't stop spread of child abuse images, warns NetClean CEONews ISP blocks can't stop spread of child abuse images through P2P and shadow internet networks.
-
Windows 8 tablets: Putting them to use on the frontlineIn-depth With tablets becoming more prevalent in businesses, some companies are taking this to the next level by introducing them to the frontline.
-
Microsoft blooper lets users activate Windows 8 Pro for freeNews Windows Media Center add-on has been inadvertently activating copies of Windows 8.
-
Google launches algorithm to sink pirates’ search resultsNews Change will help users find “legitimate, quality content”, says web giant.
