Government favours 'technical solutions' to tackle online piracy

The government has said it favours the use of "technical solutions" to tackle online piracy.

A number of "technical solutions" could be introduced to tackle the problem of illegal file-sharing on the internet, the government has suggested.

According to the BBC, culture secretary Andy Burnham has indicated that ministers are against the implementation of a so-called three strikes law.

Instead, measures would be brought in to limit or restrict the downloading of copyrighted music, films and video games.

In France, the government has given its backing to legislation that will see suspected internet pirates cut off from the web if they ignore repeated warnings to cease their activity.

During a keynote speech at Music Week's Making Online Music Pay conference, Mr Burnham said such a law was not the "preferred option" in the UK.

Indeed, he pointed out that broadband has now become as essential to households as electricity and water, so blocking access would not be a workable solution.

His comments come ahead of the publication of the final Digital Britain report on June 16th, which is expected to contain proposals for cracking down on peer-to-peer file-sharing online.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC that the report will build on last year's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between copyright holders and internet service providers (ISPs) to tackle the intellectual property issue.

"It is likely to include an obligation on ISPs to send out letters to people who are infringing copyright," he remarked.

And he added: "What Mr Burnham also said was there was the likelihood that the MoU would be backed up by new powers for Ofcom to impose technical solutions for repeat offenders if that process of sending out letters was not effective enough."

The lobby group Respect For Film recently called for the introduction of broadband speed restrictions for illegal downloaders to discourage such activity.