The
BPI
wrote to C&W demanding that the 42
accounts be withdrawn because users were uploading music without
permission. They now look likely to get their way.
"Cable & Wireless and its ISP, Bulldog, have an acceptable
use policy that covers illegal file-sharing," said a statement from
C&W. "This would normally mean that any accounts used for
illegal file-sharing are closed. We will take whatever steps
are necessary to put the matter right."
A further 17 users of Tiscali's internet service could face the
same action, though Tiscali was less certain in its response to the
BPI's demand.
"Tiscali received the letter from the BPI by email at 10.15 this
morning and we will be dealing with the request in the normal
manner," said a statement. "We do not automatically suspend
customer accounts on request, but on occasion do so pending
investigation. We are reviewing the information they have provided
and will respond appropriately."
This is the first time that the BPI has moved to have internet
users' accounts suspended, and is intended to enable the group to
take action against a greater number of people at one time than
before, the body said.
"We have said for months that it is unacceptable for ISPs to
turn a blind eye to industrial-scale copyright infringement," BPI
Chairman Peter Jamieson. "We are providing Tiscali and Cable &
Wireless with unequivocal evidence of copyright infringement via
their services. It is now up to them to put their house in order
and pull the plug on these people."
The BPI does not actually know the identities of the alleged
file-sharers, but the ISPs do. "Whenever an individual uses a
file-sharing network they reveal the unique IP address for the
internet account being used at that time," said a BPI statement.
"The BPI is able to identify from the IP address which ISP provides
the service. But only the ISP knows to which individual the IP
address belongs."
"Both Tiscali and Cable & Wireless state in their terms of
use for subscribers that internet accounts should not be used for
copyright infringement," said BPI general counsel Roz Groome. "We
now invite them to enforce their own terms of use."
