The proposals presented on this week by the British government, of cutting the access to the internet users suspects of downloading material illegally with copyright, created agitation. The measure represents a great change position, sending the message of a more punitive posture.

In June, the government had sketched a more gradual plan, under which the internet providers would alert the accused of infringing copyrights. If those measures didn’t work in one year, Ofcom, the regulator organ of the communications, would receive powers to cut the access to the web. Now it seems that the government is not willing to see if this approach will work and it wants the power to disconnect immediately.

The politics change is relevant for more than 1,5 billion internet users all over the world, that more and more have access to music and films online. The legality of sharing music files and online video continues being a gray area, where a lot of people are deliberately, and many other without knowing, violating the law.

A similar law is being discussed in New Zealand. Taiwan, South Korea and Italy already implanted hard feathers for those who share files. Sweden adopted a law on this year that allows the disconnection of those that persist in the illegal download. Initial studies indicate that the practice fell 40% in the first month after the adoption of the law.

The proposals of cut of the connection of wide band can also be considered illegal according to the law of the European Union. The proposed legislation of telecommunications of UE includes a clause that declares that the access to the internet is a fundamental human right. The decision of cutting the access, therefore, it cannot be taken by an internet provider.

It still is not known if such measures will get to impede the illegal downloads, however the one that is known is that new forms of defrauding the laws will be found due to the progress of the technology.

Via: Financial Times.