Carphone boss slams anti-piracy tactics

The CEO of Carphone Warehouse, Charles Dunstone has spoken out against news the government plans to restrict the broadband speed of any web user caught downloading copyright material.

Prior to the announcement (expected to be published in the final Digital Britain report) Dunstone told The Guardian newspaper he believed illegal downloading cannot be stopped regardless of any tactic the authorities attempt to enforce.

Suggesting the authorities plotting to stop internet pirates in their tracks were “naive”, Dunstone recommended consumers should be educated about the benefits of respecting copyright along with providing services that allow consumers “to get content easily and cheaply”. He also noted the current flawed trend to blame peer-to-peer file sharing alone for piracy, despite the fact “there is a myriad of ways you can share content on the internet.” He explained:

“If you try speed humps or disconnection for peer-to-peer, people will simply either disguise their traffic or share the content another way. It is a game of Tom and Jerry and you will never catch the mouse," said Dunstone. "We need to be careful that politicians do not get talked into putting legislation in place that, in the end, ends up looking stupid.”

Dunstone spoke out on this subject to The Guardian following the release of the Carphone Warehouse's annual pretax profit figures. It confirmed profits had risen £4m since last year up to £133m.

What do you think about the suggestion to restrict the connection speed of suspected illegal downloaders? Leave your comments below.