Three-strikes initiatives are slowly-but-steadily gaining momentum in Europe, despite some notable setbacks (particularly in France). But are EU lawmakers and regulators likely to support a broad policy of disconnections, especially in light of privacy, due process, and political concerns?
That is a critical question for major labels, a group pushing hard for ISP-level policing and oversight. During an IFPI press conference last month, group chief John Kennedy placed heavy emphasis on government-mandated enforcement, including ‘graduated response’ policies. The blanket phrase covers three-strikes disconnections, account suspensions, and bandwidth throttling. “The problem is mass online piracy,” Kennedy flatly stated, while repeatedly stumping for government intervention.
So far, European regulators and legislators have been skeptical on disconnection efforts. Last year, the European Parliament voted in favor of broader internet access guarantees, an indirect jab against efforts in France. More recently, the European Commission offered a highly-skeptical reaction to a deep packet inspection plan in the UK.
The inspection agreement involves Virgin Media, major labels, and an unlimited-access MP3 download model – though the generous carrot contains a mighty stick. According to reported deal points, Virgin agreed to deep packet inspection and enforcement of its accounts in exchange for the generous licensing. Currently, the plan appears to be sputtering on internal disagreements.
