BT threatens peer-to-peer downloader with broadband disconnection
Friday 27 June 2008
It has been reported that
BT, the UK's largest broadband provider has begun issuing disconnection threat letters to all subscribers they believe are sharing copyright music over peer-to-peer (P2P) networks.
An anonymous subscriber revealed that she had received an email from BT warning her that she was believed to have downloaded and shared the track Biology by Girls Aloud. The email contained evidence collected by the BPI showing evidence of her interaction with the open source filesharing program Ares in May earlier this year. The evidence provided included a timestamp, a file name and an IP number and the correspondence was addressed from a member of the "Customer Security Team" stating: "I have received a complain regarding on copyrighted material over the internet. On investigation, I have found that your account was used to make this offer."
The email continued: "Sorry, but we're obliged to point out that further similar problems may have to lead to the termination of your account, as such activity contravenes BT's Acceptable Use Policy."
Geoff Taylor, chief of BPI commented on the new approach to illegal downloaders in a statement to The Register: "Establishing partnerships with ISPs is the number one issue for the BPI, and we are beginning to form positive working relationships with BT,
Virgin Media and most of the other major ISPs."
The tactic that BT will be using to address illegal P2P file sharers beyond the warning email is at the moment, unclear.
The full threat email is available to read in full on The Register,
here.
Source:
The Register
