Record labels and internet service providers in France have teamed up to combat online music piracy through a deal brokered by the French government. As part of the agreement, the ISPs will instigate a number of methods to stop illegal downloading - those found to be downloading copyrighted music illegally will firstly be given a warning and, if they do not cease and desist, will be cut off. In return, the record labels have pledged to make more music available through the legitimate download services.
Although the ISPs would look for the record labels to prove a customer was illegally sharing copyrighted music in court before going as far as cutting them off, the deal represents a level of collaboration between the internet and music industry that has not been forthcoming elsewhere.
In the US internet service provider Verizon fought (initially lost and later won) a long court battle against the Recording Industry Association of America in a bid to avoid having to hand over the contact details of individual customers who the record labels reckoned were guilty of 'serial downloading'. This makes the legal process of suing individual downloaders much more time consuming.
As part of the French deal net providers Free, Noos, Club Internet, Wanadoo and Tiscali France will now share that information with the music industry, making it easier for French labels to pursue suspected serial downloaders through the courts.