"You see, the big copyright companies – record labels,
broadcasters, film studios, software companies – are lobbying
in the halls of power around the world (including Westminster) for
a three strikes rule for copyright infringers. They want to oblige
internet service providers (ISPs) to sever the broadband links of
any customer who has been thrice accused of downloading infringing
material, and to oblige web-hosting companies to terminate the
accounts of anyone accused of sticking infringing material on a web
server three times.
"They're not even proposing that this punishment should be
reserved for convicted infringers. Proving infringement is slow and
expensive – so much so that the Motion Picture Association of
America just filed a brief with the US court considering the appeal
of Jammie Thomas, a woman sentenced to pay $222,000 in fines for
downloading music, in which the trade association argued that they
should never have to prove infringement to collect damages, since
proof is so hard to come by."
