Virgin Media Denies Doing a Deal to Disconnect Pirates
Written by enigmax on April 03, 2008Virgin Media, the ISP accused of doing a deal with the British Phonographic Industry to disconnect persistent file-sharers from the internet, has denied the reports. Calling such measures “draconian”, Virgin went on to say they raise both privacy and legal issues.
Last week it was reported by The Telegraph that UK ISP Virgin Media had done a deal with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) to disconnect persistent file-sharers from the internet. Now, according to a Computer Active report, Virgin Media is denying it has reached an agreement.
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “There is no pilot in place. There are no details to confirm as we haven’t come to any sort of agreement with the BPI. The BPI wants the Government and ISPs to adopt the three-strikes system, we don’t want to go down to that level as it raises questions about privacy and funding.”
Under the suggested proposals, those caught sharing unauthorized files would be disconnected from the internet, should they fail to heed warnings to stop. Virgin is right to be cautious about privacy issues. Anti-piracy outfit Logistep ran headlong into operating illegally in Italy recently, when it was ruled that they illegally spied on P2P users.
When quizzed, the BPI said it was unable to talk about its discussions with ISPs: “We can’t talk about the pilot and can’t give out details but we have outlined plans with Virgin and do have a dialogue with them. But there is no confirmation of a pilot.”
Previously: Warez Scene Members Facing 5 Years in Prison
Next: ISP Will Protect File-Sharers From Music Industry Disconnection Threat
81 Responses
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[quote comment="330176"]I bet it is Murdoch’s Sky who are reponsible for the original ‘rumour’ ,lol.[/quote]
Or Virgin Media. It’s not uncommon for a company to intentionally leak information for the purpose of gauging the public’s reaction.
A deal with the IFPI may have been on VM’s table until the “rumour” got out and people starting calling it a braindamaged clusterfuck of stupidity and writing emails threatening to switch ISPs.
I know this off topic but I really need some help. Does Verizon block p2p traffic? I want to switch from Comcast to Verizon because I’m sick of Comcast’s policies and restrictions. If it blocks p2p traffic is there a better alternative? Any help greatly appreciated.
>>A deal with the IFPI
Uhh… Deal with the *BPI*.
Fuck. The MAFIAA’s synonyms are all starting to run together in my head.
But then again, how couldn’t they?
we need freedom as long as esteem and respect is garanteed
Listen here all you ignorant fucks.. THERE IS NO COUNTRY CALLED AMERICA. There is North America, South America, AND Central America (HOLY SHIT THERE’S 3 and the US is ONLY ON ONE!!). Each America consists of multiple countries. I’m sure you all are referring to the United States so call it that (or USA, the US, home of fat asses, etc). What the hell do people in the US think? Oh, we’re the only fucks that live on a continent with America in the name. No wonder everyone hates us (yes.. I live in the US).. people here think we’re the shit. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country and all but the people here (the US not TF) are fucking idiots. All the dumb asses that call the US “America” are the same fucks that complain about jobs moving overseas but then go buy all the CHINESE MADE SHIT SOLD AT WAL-MART. I buy shit from Wal-Mart because I don’t give a fuck if all the manual labor jobs move because I’m getting an education so I can actually have a job. I think we should import fucking Mexicans and other stinky Central Americans to do manual labor here in the US. If you don’t like it, get an education (shit you don’t even really need an education for some businesses) so you can start the company that hires all these imports (you’ll make more money this way).
Who gives a fuck about the UK or America, or whatever fucking country your from? There are more similarities than differences that exist between the two countries. And nobody cares which one is better.
@ GerMac
im sick of limey. im scottish. Im from the “uk” in other words and i aint a limey thats a term for english ppl. Just like “british”. Fuckin thick americans(not all just the one that think the whole of the uk is england and not 4 separate countrys (5 if you count jersey). Uk is Scotland, England, wales and nothern ireland. So dont be callin the uk all limeys thats like us callin newyorkers “red necks” lmao.
i should also point out you are called america cause you call your self s americans. Mabye if you called your selfs a united state american or u.s. american we might call your country by its name lol
Ya’ll just stupid, Yank or Limey. First what the heck is a Yank? Or a Limey for that matter? Stupidass names in the first place.
Back to the main article…
Its only a matter of time before the same pressure on people in the UK occurs as it does to people in the US.
BPI will have RIAA and MPAA consult them in measures to take. Only a matter of time.
the BPI got another smack from Talk-Talk on the news, another big UK ISP.
this is just the BPI trying to flex their muscles, but they’re an irrelevance and it’s a desperate last attempt by them to claw back some kind of importance.
unfortunately for them, Virgin, Talk-Talk and the like know that there is good money to be made from folks who want high speeds and limits and very little to be made by listening to old dinosaurs like the BPI.
this whole “Virgin bans filesharer” crap was bogus from the start, which a bit of fact checking by the Telepgraph writing would have uncovered. it’s just the BPI trying to seem like they matter anymore.
I think I’ll remain cautious about making judgement about what’s really happening here as I don’t think it can be that clear cut to think this isn’t part of a process to intorduce something new (as in government intervention).
Maybe nothing will come of it all, but then maybe all hell will break loose. All this could just be typical warming of people’s minds for what’s coming.
BBC link about the CPW response here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7329801.stm
Well im an ex-virgin media user, DAMN THEY SUCK. Dial up speeds, Anti-P2P,Thorttling,Port blocking. Well now im on an isp that supports piracy, No throttling, No portblocking :D
Virgin is the best of the ISP here in the UK but they would loose ALOT of customers if they did do an anti-piracy scheme, glad there not
@13
You made my day. :-) 99% of Hollywood movies deserve to be stuffed back - up their producers’ fat a$$es, where they belong.
They gave us Titanic, H.P., Batman, Spiderman, Bourne, Die Hard and whatnot - and you call this pile of $h1t movies? ROFL.
In Fiji Unwired tried interrupting p2p traffic in the first few months.Months later changed there mind to “speed humps”. I guess good things come to an end.
[quote comment="329835"]@ 1.
Its not exactly hard to change ISP. In america you have more organisations trying to stop pirates and if your a college student then its even worse. In England nothing has happened to anyone I know (not even a warning letter). Anyhows this is good news.[/quote]
Ever heard of OiNK?
[quote comment="330161"][quote comment="330077"][quote comment="330036"]i some how had a feeling it was a load of horse crap virgin has the fasted public i.p service in the u.k are they really going to want to upset the people who pay their bonuses
have to remember 1 thing virgin also own a record label so if it did bother them surely they would have acted way before.[/quote]
i agree, although branson sold his record company before the whole filesharing revolution, so doesn’t have much experience of it.
virgin still has the fastest internet connection speeds (20meg now, 50meg later) and amazing reliability (i live miles away from my exchange, yet get 19.7meg :) with only 1 section of downtime when someone crashed into on of those green debundling boxes outside my house) and have very limited speed resctrictions (restrict speed to 5meg for 5hours if you d/l 3gbs between 7-9).[/quote]
More like between 4 & 10PM if you actually watch the traffic. Notwithstanding, VM is still the single best ISP in the UK.[/quote]
Bullshit! Virgin are crap. Be* and bulldog are much better isp’s.
[quote comment="330648"]Well im an ex-virgin media user, DAMN THEY SUCK. Dial up speeds, Anti-P2P,Thorttling,Port blocking. Well now im on an isp that supports piracy, No throttling, No portblocking :D[/quote]
Cretin. That was prolly your complete inability to configure your own end.
[quote comment="330726"]
Bullshit! Virgin are crap. Be* and bulldog are much better isp’s.[/quote]
BWAHAHAHAHAetc.
Gime a shout when your shitty xDSL lines can do 20Mbps, let alone FIFTY! :P
[quote comment="330335"]Limey… quit talking, because if it was not for us you wouldnt be talking English right now… it would be German (And dont you ever forget that)[/quote]
i thought you were helping them ? oh, friendly fire was it , isp s wont be chopping of anyone here, can we survive more of your infested torrents ??
[quote comment="330335"]Limey… quit talking, because if it was not for us you wouldnt be talking English right now… it would be German (And dont you ever forget that)[/quote]
i think you’re seriously overestimating our language skills: do you honestly think we could learn german in 60 years?
Everyone knows americans are just fat 2nd rate English people. If only you could be as civilised and educated as the Brits. Dream on pal.
when are we going to get Rambo 5 ?
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