Implementation of Digital Economy Act delayed
By Deborah Bates
07/04/2011
The implementation of the Digital Economy Act has been pushed back until October 2011, after being challenged by BT and TalkTalk.
The act could see illegal file-sharers have their broadband connections disabled; however it has been subject to judicial review after the challenge from the two telecoms companies.
BT and TalkTalk's main reason for opposing the act was that it "put too much power in the hands of the big content providers," according to The Inquirer.
Despite this, and claims that the review could lead to be it being postponed indefinitely, the government has confirmed the act will come into force in six months' time.
A representative of the department of culture, media and sport spoke to IT Pro about the move, claiming: "It doesn't mean changing the timetable and we are still aiming to have the first letters out by the first half of the year."
The letters referred to by the spokesperson are the warnings that will be sent to file-sharers by the government; letting them know that their internet connection will be cut if they continue to undertake illegal activity.
This could spur on companies to use their network management system to ensure their employees aren't sharing files illegally through the company network; as they if they were, their employers could be subject to a legal warning.
Some industry experts are not so sure the implementation will even go ahead in October, with the general counsel at the Federation Against Software Threat (FASW) claiming: "The ruling is now not expected for another six-to-eight weeks, and even then it will probably face appeal from whichever side loses."
"And that means this will run and run for months, stuck in the UK and possibly EU legal system."
