14 DAY TRIAL // In the United Kingdom there are thousands and thousands of people who have broadband Internet access and share music online. This is not exactly legal, nor is it something the BPI agrees with. The British music industry is taking charge of the situation and the first step it is going to take is to send illegal music sharers a warning letter.
Letters will be sent only to those who are sharing copyrighted music. So far about 800 people have been contacted, all of them Virgin Media customers according to BBC UK. Virgin approves this course of action and will send warning letters to any and all customers who share music online.
The BPI wants to take more drastic measures, such as cooperating with Internet service providers in order to prevent repeated offenders from accessing the Internet. The BPI says it will resort to such drastic measures in an effort to stop online piracy and will even go as far as suing the ISPs that refuse to collaborate. The BPI and the Internet service providers must cooperate if the measure is to have any chance of success.
According to the BPI it is a question of "Internet user education" and a legislative matter. People do not know what could happen if they will share copyrighted material online, if they are found guilty of copyright infringement. The British Government should aid by issuing clear legislation, punitive measures that will deter people from breaking the law.
The fact of the matter is that most people do not know that what they are doing (sharing copyrighted music files online) is illegal and they are actually breaking the law. That is why they need to be informed and that is precisely why Virgin Media is sending out all those letters. If you know you are breaking the law you can stop; if you continue, then you are intentionally breaking that law and facing the punitive measures that go along with it.