James Delahunty
6 Apr 2008 22:03
Carphone Warehouse has revealed that it has no intention of cooperating with the record industry's BPI or the UK Government in a plan to disconnect users who are caught engaging in illegal file sharing activities. "Our position is very clear, we are the conduit that gives users access to the Internet, we do not control the Internet nor do we control what our users do on the Internet," CPW CEO Charles Dunstone said in a statement.
The UK Government has been putting pressure on Internet Service Providers (ISP) to co-operate with rights holders to clamp down on illegal file sharing. "I cannot foresee any circumstances in which we would voluntarily disconnect a customer's account on the basis of a third party alleging a wrongdoing. We believe that a fundamental part of our role as an ISP is to protect the rights of our users to use the Internet as they choose. We will fight any challenge to the sanctity of this relationship with every legal option available to us," Dunstone said.
The Register contacted a spokesman for Carphone Warehouse, who said the company is not going to be bullied by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade organization, which sent it a letter demanding a written agreement within 14 days. The letter allegedly threatens court action if the ISP fails to respond. "There's a difference between that and the BPI's public statements on cooperation," the spokesman said.
The BPI did respond to the statement issued by Carphone Warehouse. "Talk Talk claims it is their role to 'protect the rights of their customers to use the internet as they choose'. We strongly disagree on this point when that usage is illegal," the BPI said. "Contrary to Talk Talk's claims, passing advice on to their customers is not 'unreasonable' or 'unworkable'. We are not asking ISPs to act as the police. We are asking them to act on information we provide to them."
CPW is the first major ISP to challenge the proposed scheme publicly.