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UK File-Sharing Laws Unenforceable On Mobile Networks

Posted by kdawson on from the p2p-ringtones dept.

superglaze writes "UK mobile broadband providers currently have no way of telling which subscribers are file-sharing which copyrighted content, ZDNet UK reports. This represents something of a problem for new laws that have been proposed to crack down on unlawful file-sharing. According to the article, databases (tracking IP address mappings) could be built to make it possible to identify what specific users are downloading, but the industry is loathe to fund this sort of project itself. Also, as an analyst points out in the piece, users of prepaid phone cards are mostly anonymous in the UK, which creates another challenge for the government's plans. And if that isn't enough, connection-sharing apps like JoikuBoost would make identification pretty much impossible anyway."

9 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. Of Course... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anybody who plans on running bittorrent over a prepaid mobile connection is either going to pirate very small files, or end up paying rather more than retail for them...

    1. Re:Of Course... by RobVB · · Score: 4, Funny

      end up paying rather more than retail for them...

      You can't put a price on freedom!

      --
      I'd rather you rationally disagree than irrationally agree.
  2. Or it would go the other way by plover · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sharing your connection using Joiku with a file-sharing felon might tar you with the same brush. 3 strikes and you're all out.

    Due process? We flushed that crap down the toilet years ago.

    --
    John
    1. Re:Or it would go the other way by denis-The-menace · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All bow to the outdated business model that is the music business of the 50-90s.

      Profits from this *MUST* be protected at the cost of freedom, privacy and progress. /sarcasm (in case of "whoosh")

      Amazing what bribes from robber barons can do to otherwise respectable politicians.

      --
      Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
    2. Re:Or it would go the other way by PitaBred · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Otherwise respectable? Wasn't the guy who pushed this shit through removed from two elected positions for corruption, and now only holds an appointed position?

      --
      My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
  3. Bill the record industry by Hatta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If the record industry wants this data, they can pay for its collection.

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  4. Retarded by BlackCreek · · Score: 3, Informative

    Outright retarded article... Mobile data fees are so expensive that this whole story it makes no sense whatsoever

    I've seen plenty of slow news days here where kdawson decided to publish non-sense, but this is a new low.

  5. Re:Errr Radius Authentication by Spad · · Score: 3, Informative

    And lose a *huge* chunk of their revenue. According to Ofcom 55% of mobile phones in the UK are pre-paid or PAYG (Look under the "Telecoms" section).

  6. Re:Wow by zapakh · · Score: 4, Informative

    I guess I'm not sure what you want to talk to my printer about. Maybe you're alluding to some story I haven't haerd

    If I may, I believe this is about some of the DMCA takedown notices received by University of Washington from the MPAA in the summer of 2008. A few of them were directed at laser printers because researchers at the university pulled some tricks with IP addresses in an attempt to prove that, no, they really don't tell you about identity and, no, the MPAA doesn't care.

    http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/the-inexact-science-behind-dmca-takedown-notices/
    http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/05/entertainment-indust-1.html

    I don't know if any changes have been made in response to the embarrassment, nor whether the embarrassment has even been acknowledged as such.