ISPA Welcomes New P2P Agreement
24 July 2008
ISPA Response to the BERR Consultation
ISPA welcomes today’s announcement of cooperation between ISPs and Rights Holders. ISPA supports the Government’s stated preference for an industry-led system of dealing with online copyright infringement rather than Government imposed regulation. The Memorandum of Understanding, to which a number of ISPA members are signatories, contains many of the high-level principles that were suggested during discussions facilitated by ISPA following the publication of the Gowers Review in December 2006.
The MoU builds on earlier discussions outlines an agreement with a subset of the ISP sector. ISPA notes that the current signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding are larger ISPs and would urge Government and Ofcom to ensure that further discussions on the proposals are conducted in full consultation with all providers. ISPA stands ready to facilitate the involvement of a greater number of ISPs in the discussion process. ISPA will also be submitting a formal response to the consultation.
ISPA supports rightsholders’ right to enforce their intellectual property rights and has been engaged in extensive discussions with relevant stakeholders. ISPA is pleased that this agreement recognises that enforcement is one element of a wider issue and that consumer education and the availability of viable legal alternatives to is essential to supportthis agreement.
The Internet provides tremendous opportunities to make more music and video available in legal and efficient ways. ISPA believes music, film and software industry right holders should continue to embrace the Internet and the opportunities it offers to disseminate their materials efficiently, legally and profitably. It is our belief is that the future lies in creating business models that will form mutually beneficial partnerships between ISPs and right holders.
ISPA Secretary-General Nicholas Lansman welcomed the Government’s preferred option. “This MoU builds on the consensus established by ISPA and its members, and constitutes an commercially viable and operationally practical approach to cooperation on copyright infringement. We now look forward to cooperation to educate users and encourage them to use legal alternatives to illegally downloading content. We ask the Government to consult with larger and smaller members throughout this process’.
- Ends -
About the Internet Services Providers’ Association:
The Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA ) was established in 1995 as a trade association to represent providers of Internet services in the . ISPA promotes competition, self-regulation and the development of the Internet industry. For a list of members or other information about ISPA, please consult the website: www.ispa.org.uk