The Digital Economy Act 2010 (which can be viewed here http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2010/ukpga_20100024_en_1 ) was voted into law as one of the final acts of the Labour government in order to regulate digital media; it came into force on 8 June 2010.  The Act aims to curb online copyright infringements and illegal file sharing and to aid the identification and ability to sue persistent infringers, and includes the power to reduce the quality of, or potentially terminate, those infringers' Internet connections in some circumstances.

Implications for the Meetings Industry
There is an implication here for venues and any other business offering broadband internet connection services, as the law seemingly places responsibility for downloading copyrighted material on the owner of the broadband connection.  It is currently unclear whether a business providing connectivity to the public is responsible for the content downloaded on their connection by third parties, so some fear that if a person uses a venue’s connection for illegal file sharing, the venue could be held responsible and prosecuted.

Acts to Repeal the Law
The MIA has been asked by a number of our members to clarify the point and to perhaps speak to the powers that be in an attempt to protect the industry. There certainly is a need to be addressed and we’re relieved to note that the law is being challenged by BT and Talk Talk, who have joined forces to ask the High Court to repeal the Act.

The appeal is based on the facts that the Act wasn’t properly debated by Parliament, as it was rushed through in the days preceding the disillusion of the house in preparation for the General Election. It’s a view which is apparently supported by many MPs.  The two communication giants also claim the anti-piracy measures that the Act prescribes are not in keeping with European rules on ISPs policing the internet and protecting users’ privacy.

So while at this stage we cannot advise on the legality of the position businesses providing broadband services face, we would like to reassure our members that there are some pretty weighty companies fighting for the end of this Act, and while the battle rages on, prosecutions are unlikely before its outcome is known.