In a new text published this week, the UK government spelled out plans to suspend the Internet connections of users who repeatedly violate online copyright rules.
The proposals, which were subjected to public debate, draw from a report on 'Digital Britain' published in June.
The harshest potential measure suggested in the original paper was to slow down offenders' Internet connections after issuing them with a series of warnings. The new provisions would have been implemented as of 2012.
But the new paper proposed by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), run by former EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, instead proposed immediately cutting the Internet connections of online pirates.
Although the government considers such a step to be the last resort, there are concerns the possibility of such interventions could arise quickly without going through the legal process, carrying the risk of violating fundamental rights and punishing the wrong people. This was the argument offered by France's highest court when it blocked the so-called 'three-strike approach' last June (see 'Background').
The UK government will collect the positions of relevant stakeholders until 29 September before considering the next steps.
Meanwhile, in Brussels the European Parliament will soon set up a conciliation committee in conjunction with the Council to deal with the future of the telecoms package. The entire package is currently blocked over an amendment to protect Internet users' rights in the face of unilateral actions, such those foreseen by the governments of the UK and France.
