UNITED KINGDOM — The British Parliament has passed the Digital Economy Bill which seeks to crackdown on Internet piracy and illegal file-sharing.
By a vote of 189 to 47, the bill was passed in a “wash up” process which limited the amount of debate members of Parliament took on the bill.
The bill encompasses online copyright infringement, Internet piracy, regulation of TV and radio, regulations over ISPs and various other digital topics.
Many of the bill’s critics believe that the legislation goes too far and that not enough time was spent debating and scrutinizing bill.
According to file-sharing-friendly site, TorrentFreak.com, the bill gives copyright holders the power to spy on those who infringe on their rights and can urge the government to close websites without going to court.
On BroadBandGenie, one British Internet provider said that while it supports the protection of copyright, it opposes the provider’s expected role to send warning letters to suspected pirates, and if that doesn’t work, to disconnect customers from their broadband connection.
The Internet provider suggested, “rather than blocking websites and cutting the connections of suspected broadband customers, new products and services should be developed to give consumers the content they want, how they want it, and for a fair price.”
Its potential impact on public WI-Fi and its harsh penalties for illegal file-sharers have been hotly debated.
TorrentFreak says the bill will not have the slightest effect on seasoned file-sharers, it will only change the rules of the game.