UK Government will not legislate on piracy

The UK's Intellectual Property Minister David Lammy has said that he will not advise the government to force ISPs to pursue file-sharers despite mounting pressure from the music and games industry to crack down on piracy.

While other countries like France have teamed with ISPs and industry groups to crack down on file-sharers and pirates, Mr Lammy believes that using similar legislation in the UK would be "too complex", the BBC reports today.

"We can't have a system where we're talking about arresting teenagers in their bedrooms," said Mr Lammy in an interview with The Times.

Much of the rising pressure on anti-piracy legislation is reported to be coming from the British Phonographic Industry, which wants a three-strikes policy enforced against file-sharers, with persistent offenders being thrown off of their ISP.

When the policy was first suggested though only Virgin Media seemed keen to get on-board with the project and many ISPs moved away from the idea totally.

Lord Carter is currently in the middle of compiling a report about 'Digital Britain' which is expected to go over similar lines and suggest how to combat file-sharers without using strict legislation. The report is expected to be out by the end of the month.

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