[cma-l] Support Digital Bill, says CMA

[Gary Jackson]

>
> Source: http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.5550
>
> The Community Media Association is urging all MPs to support the radio
> clauses of the Digital Economy Bill.
>    
Can I urge extreme caution with this.

Not because I disagree with it, but from experience, this will be taken 
as "The CMA supports the bill in its entirety".

There are clauses in this bill relating to illegal downloading which 
could affect any broadcaster who uses the internet to deliver their 
shows to stations.

In discussions I have had with the CEO of BT, it appears that, not only 
can the ISPs not tell the difference between a legal and an illegal file 
transfer, they can't even tell what file types are being transferred. 
All they know is that a volume of data has been transferred.

My MP Chris Huhne has taken this up with Mandelson's office, and the 
reply I have received is even more worrying, stating as it does that the 
"Rights Owners" will, under this legislation, have the power to force 
the ISPs to take action against file sharers that they have identified.

I have no idea how they are going to identify a person is downloading 
illegally. If the ISPs don't know, how will they? Pin the tail on the 
donkey?

I have no doubt that if this legislation is accepted in its entirety, 
innocent people and possibly innocent businesses will be wrongly 
identified by the "rights owners" who appear to have no accountability 
in these things, as ilegally downloading

Gary Jackson