Independent Internet Watchdog Proposed By ISPs

In a new move to protect intellectual property, it has emerged that a number of the UK’s leading ISPs are considering the creation of an independent internet watchdog that would have the power to blacklist websites that infringe on copyright protection.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, a central list of websites suggested by copyright holders would be blocked from internet access by service providers.

Suggested targets include the Pirate Bay, other BitTorrent trackers, and advertising-supported download sites, as these websites are usually hosted outside the UK where copyright laws cannot be used to close them down.

The news comes as BT and TalkTalk began last month to frame their arguments in a court bid to overturn the Digital Economy Act.

Single Point Of Call

According to the Telegraph, the principle of the idea has been privately compared on both sides of the discussion to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The IWF is the non-profit organisation that collects and investigates reports of child abuse material online. It then gives ISPs a blacklist of web addresses who then prevent consumers from accessing those sites.

The idea is that a copyright enforcement version of the IWF takes the onus off ISPs to check that particular websites are hosting pirated content. And it would also mean that the music and film industry would made their complaints about specific websites to a single point of contact.

The Telegraph said that no details of the potential funding or structure of such a body have been agreed, but cited sources that said that “broadband providers are firm that independent checks on complaints would be essential for a self-regulatory approach to online copyright enforcement to work.”

Industry Concerns

The Telegraph however said that it had seen a letter from some within the ISP community, who are concerned at comparisons between the IWF and copyright enforcement. The letter was addressed to Ed Vaizey, the minister for communications and creative industries.

“We were concerned that some of the discussion at the roundtable suggested that the IWF scheme could be used as a template for a scheme to block access to sites facilitating downloading of unlicensed content,” said the letter, which the newspaper said was signed by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), Google, TalkTalk and Yahoo! in March.

“It is obvious to us that the type of material in the two cases – child sexual abuse images in one and unlicensed content in the other – is of a wholly different nature and consequently warrants a wholly different approach,” it added.

“Whilst there might be some learning to be gleaned from the technical approach and process steps used by the IWF, the analogy is very limited.”

Roundtable Meeting

The ISPA told eWEEK Europe UK that it had no comment to make until the roundtable meeting of the Working Group takes place this Monday.

The newspaper also quoted the Open Rights Group, which is also concerned as the proposals.

“We believe website blocking is a bad idea, especially on a self-regulatory basis where vital judicial oversight is bypassed.”

Ed Vaizey reportedly responded this week with the following comment: “Jeremy [Hunt] and I met with key players from the digital economy on 23 February to discuss developing new ways for people to access content online. “Coming out of this meeting was a proposal for a Working Group to be formed to look at industry self-regulatory measures to tackle online copyright infringement through site blocking.”

Vaizey also said that consumer groups would be invited to participate in future discussions on the issue.

The first meeting of the Working Group is set for this Monday.