Record label trade body the BPI has confirmed that BT has followed Virgin Media's lead and is sending warning letters to customers of its internet service provider packages who the labels believe are acquiring music from illegal sources, telling said customers that uploading or downloading tracks to or from such sources is very naughty indeed. It was reported on IT website The Register last week that one BT customer had confirmed they had received such a warning letter from the phone firm.
Confirming they were now working with both BT and Virgin Media on the warning letter programme, the boss of the BPI, Geoff Taylor, said on Friday: "Establishing partnerships with ISPs is the No 1 issue for the BPI, and we are beginning to form positive working relationships with BT, Virgin Media and most of the other major ISPs".
As much previously reported, the ISPs have generally resisted getting involved in tackling P2P file sharing in the past, cynics would say because P2P-users were the early adopters of their broadband services, given that in the early days of broadband there were few legit online content platforms which really demanded higher speed internet.
As only the ISPs can identify the names and addresses of suspected file sharers, in the past the BPI has had to go to court in order to find out where to send legal letters relating to online copyright infringement. They argue that a system where ISPs forward on warning letters as a matter of course is better, not only because it reduces the labels' legal fees, but also because it means file sharers have the option to stop illegally file sharing before the matter goes properly legal.
The ISPs had been resistant to taking on a more proactive role, and some still are, but with BT and Virgin Media on board more are now expected to follow. Of course it remains unclear what will happen if consumers ignore warning letters. The labels want the ISPs to ultimately cut off persistent copyright infringers. Whether the ISP would do that, or even hand over the contact information of the individual to allow the labels to take legal action, remains to be seen.
The BPI will hope the warning letters alone will stop many file sharers, though some high profile cuttings-off or another round of successful anti-P2P lawsuits may be required to persuade some file-sharing net users that they really must stop accessing illegal sources of music.