ISP Involvement May Stem P2P Usage in UK

If studies and surveys are any indication of the truth, UK residents would put to an end their P2P ways if ISPs started getting involved with copyright enforcement. Under the "three strikes" proposal, repetitive and high volume offenders would be disconnected for trading copyrighted works.

That threat seems to have struck a chord, as the results from found that 7 out of 10 UK residents would stop their pirating ways if they received a letter from their ISP.

"Fear over being caught is a strong impetus to quit, but over 2 In 3 believe it is very unlikely they will ever be caught downloading. People are concerned about stories of prosecution, but they don’t believe they will be caught in the first place," the study reads.

The significant wiggle room around the P2P epidemic, however. Older responders in the survey reported a growing disconnect with technology, and those over age 35 were more willing to pay for music and entertainment. It also found that social networking sites held a tremendous potential for music distribution.

If the survey is right, and fear is keeping the masses at bay from P2P, this apparent retraction in file-sharing may be temporary. Consider the longevity of the "three strikes" policy in the UK, which is already showing signs of . Here's a blog excerpt from the Prime Minister’s office:

"Unfortunately, much of the media reports around this issue have been incorrect. There are no proposals to make ISPs liable for the content that travels across their networks. Nor are there proposals for ISPs to monitor customer activity for illegal downloading, or to enforce a “3 strikes” policy."

The study does show there's some impressive room for digital music to thrive online - among those who are concerned about being cut off, older users, and those frequenting social sites. But if the “three strikes” proposal goes nowhere, those fears may subside rather soon.


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