Fascinating what impact the UK Government's proposed potential solution to piracy could have on everyone’s data. It states, "A draft consultation suggests internet service providers would be required to take action over users who access pirated material via their accounts."
Which would require all IP traffic being monitored to ensure pirated material isn't being transmitted.
OK in the first instance there will be the observation that it will be certain types of IP packets that are inspected. Surely the pirate "publishers" and "consumers" will start to mask packets to hide the data or encrypt it via VPN style tunnels. Leading to the ultimate solution that all packets would need to be inspected to spot the illegal activity.
Just a thought but where is the processing power to monitor all this data going to come from?
Who is going to fund the initial investment and the on-going running costs?
Will broadband costs rise to cover this new form of "taxation"?
Perhaps the music industry will fund it...
Step back a little further though and rewind through history to the 80's. Pirating was rife and "home taping is killing music" (apparently), although it looks far from dead despite what's happened since then with CD's and Bittorrent.
Did anyone from the music industry suggest feeling letters in the local sorting office? You never know which of those spotty students from some back water polytechnic had been slaving over their 45's and Aiwa tape decks late into the night, just so they could share their newly discovered June Brides single with a friend who couldn't get John Peel in their student digs. And if it felt like a tape then rip that letter open in case it was pirated!
What sort of outcry would have ensued on making that suggestion?
When the home tapers ended up masking the tapes in boxes and obscure shapes would all post have been opened....just in case. Like processing power now who would have funded the countless staff needed to perform the task of opening every valentines card, letter from the Inland Revenue and bank statement?
Granted the general principle of protecting copyright and IPR is well intended as the UK being "a knowledge economy" music is the thin end of the wedge.
To suggest implementing monitoring of all data communicated over the internet is fundamentally flawed in both its ability to be executed and also the implication to both privacy and security of our data.
Rewind. Press Play/Record. Blank tape. Start again.
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