Virgin: We Won't Cut Off File Sharers; Sends Envelope Saying 'We May Cut You Off'

Say That Again

from the mixed-messages dept

After reports said that UK broadband ISP Virgin Media would become the recording industry’s copyright cop, Virgin came out denying it, saying that kicking users off the internet was draconian. However, it later admitted that it would send warning letters to people, based on the flimsy evidence used by the recording industry. Now Virgin has started sending out those letters, claiming that it’s just sending letters and that there is “absolutely no possibility” that it would ban file sharers from connecting to the internet. That must explain why it sent the first batch of warning letters to people in envelopes that read: “Important. If you don’t read this, your broadband could be disconnected.” Absolutely no possibility, huh? It’s not necessarily bad that Virgin would let customers know that the recording industry had spotted their IP — but it seems wrong to send out these messages that completely buy into the industry’s spin on what that means. And, given how hard the recording industry is pushing governments to make “three strikes laws,” that “absolutely no possibility” is looking less absolute and more possible every day.

Filed Under: copyright, copyright cops, isps, uk
Companies: bpi, virgin