TalkTalk Group, one of the biggest ISPs in the UK, believe that laws currently being debated in the UK to tackle online piracy could cost an extra £30 ($48.80) per subscriber. Charles Dunstone, CEO of the ISP, wrote that “this could make Internet access unaffordable for 600,000 hard-pressed families.”
The UK’s Digital Economy Bill would ensure that ISPs had to take action against people suspected of copyright infringement. This has led to concern amongst ISPs of the extra costs that would result in these rules being implemented. Inevitably these would be passed onto consumers. BT, another ISP, reckon the laws could increase prices by £25 ($41) per subscriber.
However, the British Recorded Music Industry (BPI, and Satan’s little brother) believes that the true cost is actually much lower. A report they commissioned from Sweet Consulting showed that “introducing measures to identify and notify copyright infringers would cost £13.85 million ($22.5 million) in the first year, £9 million ($14.6 million) in the second, and £3.45 million ($5.6 million) in the third.” This would result in only a 24 pence (39 cents) rise per subscriber in the third year.
As a small-town Republican smarting over Scott Brown’s orgasmic result, I don’t know what to think. I hate government regulation, but then I hate poor people too. If only George Bush was still President…
