UK ISP Tiscali appears to have (quite rightly) given the wonderful people of the BPI (British Phonographic Industry, the UK equivelant to the RIAA) a firm dressing down in response to the BPI's recent reports of 17 IP addresses of Tiscali customers which they allege have been used for copyright infringement. The BPIs letter of the 10th July requested that Tiscali suspend the accounts of all 17 people alleged to have been participating in illegal filesharing, turn those customers details over to the BPI, and enter into a legal agreement with the BPI, obliging Tiscali to do this.
Tiscali has quickly responded to the BPIs request, stating that while Tiscali firmly stands against the idea of customers using their internet service for illegal activities including copyright infringement, it does not believe that either Tiscali as a company or the BPI as a trade organisation has either the right or obligation to act as "a regulator or law enforcement agency". The implication, of course, is that the BPI has overstepped it's bounds...
Quote:
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At this point, I would like to make it clear that a similar procedure will be followed in respect of the remaining 16 customers, once you have provided proper evidence. Tiscali does not intend to require its customers to enter into the undertakings proposed by you and, in any event, our initial view is that they are more restrictive than is reasonable or necessary. However, should you wish our customers to enter into your undertakings, you will need to approach them directly. It is a matter for them to decide whether they wish to enter into such undertakings or defend proceedings against them in the courts. It is not for Tiscali, as an ISP, nor the BPI, as a trade association, to effectively act as a regulator or law enforcement agency and deny individuals the right to defend themselves against the allegations made against them.
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The full text of the Tiscali reply, can be found at
The Register
For now, however, it appears that the BPI is
waxing lyrical about the immediate and prompt co-operation of the two ISPs it contacted and how those ISPs will now "face up to their responsibilities on copyright infringement".
Pay-as-you-go options starting at $10/user/month
07-13-2006
I guess Windows 7 stands for 7%
