News - ISPs will not be forced to disconnect file sharers

[HEXUS]

Government?s intellectual property minister doesn?t think legislation on this issue is practical.

Read more.

[neonplanet40]

Good news to be honest.

Glad to hear someone in government has sense.

[scaryjim]

I'd be amazed if the larger hotel chains didn't have 7million people nicking soap and other toiletries each year. A large Etap / Ibis type hotel can have several hundred rooms, giving the potential for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of visitors each year. Spread across the huge number of hotels the group owns, that must add up...

Although as a metaphor it's a pretty poor one, so that's kinda moot...

[kalniel]

It's a better anaology than you might think - the 'loss' of soap etc. is all paid for by increased hotel fees, so it's taken into account and hotels remain viable. We could do the same for whatever media is being illegally shared - just levy a flat charge on ISPs that covers the value of what's being stolen and distribute it to the media owners.

People who don't take soap from hotels don't complain that they are subsidising those that do, so maybe they won't for this idea either

[Saracen]

It's a better anaology than you might think - the 'loss' of soap etc. is all paid for by increased hotel fees, so it's taken into account and hotels remain viable. We could do the same for whatever media is being illegally shared - just levy a flat charge on ISPs that covers the value of what's being stolen and distribute it to the media owners.

People who don't take soap from hotels don't complain that they are subsidising those that do, so maybe they won't for this idea either

But then, if that's the case (and I'd be astonished if you were wrong about it), then the hotel 'guest' taking a bar of soap isn't stealing it, since he's paid for it in the room charge anyway.

Besides, I'm absolutely sure hotel soap is about more than stolen bars. Whenever I stay in a hotel, soap is replaced with a fresh, wrapped bar every day, even if I'm booked in all week. Personally, I wouldn't be wildly impressed to find myself with the last guest's leftover soap (which wouldn't actually matter because I prefer to take my own and not use cheap hotel soap anyway) on the basis of the aesthetics. After all, you don't know where that soap has .... erm .... been.

So hotels, in my experience, replace soap with a small, individually wrapped bar every day regardless of occupancy, and I'm not convinced it's about stealing, either, or they wouldn't do it for every room, regardless of how much is left.

By the way, who are the sad individuals that actually want hotel soap?

[kalniel]

That's why I put loss in inverted commas

But hotels don't change everything, everyday, do they? Most places make the bed but only change the linen on a change of occupancy - they could do the same for soap too. That way you don't have someone elses left-overs, only your own.

And you've obviously missed out on the Hotel front if you've never found a soap you liked.. I've had some stunners

I think ISP fees could be the best solution to the piracy problem - bad news for retail sales, but decriminalise net piracy, levy fees to generate revenue and distribute according to download rates. ISPs would start to distinguish packages based on usage - so you'd buy a 'gamer' or 'pro-gamer' package depending on amount of game downloads etc. Effectively turning games into a subscription based system not dissimilar to those publishers have been trying to push recently. Only without an easy way to avoid it illegitimately.

[Funkstar]

By the way, who are the sad individuals that actually want hotel soap?

Clearly they are fortunate people that do not suffer from eczema, dermatitis or anything similar

[neonplanet40]

lol never thought i'd see people so enthusiastically comparing internet piracy with hotel soap...

[Numenor]

I'd like to see the entertainment industry taking the 'Monty Python approach'...

[kalniel]

I'd like to see the entertainment industry taking the 'Monty Python approach'...

You mean make so much money before piracy that you don't really mind what happens so just give stuff away with adverts type thing?

[shaithis]

It's good news but tainted. It's not because they value our liberty, it's because it's a nightmare to police properly

[Jay]

I still think peoplr who distribute pirate software / films etc via the net should be disconnected

[shaithis]

I still think peoplr who distribute pirate software / films etc via the net should be disconnected

And anyone who drives 1 MPH over the speed limit should never be allowed to drive again?

There are plenty of like examples as well. Nothing is as black and white as your statement paints it.

[handscombmp]

Isn't i half due to the fact that they aren't easily avalible to download legally.

I've got a friend who downloads movies illegally and he says if he could go to a website where he could download a full 1080p film (and pay) he would but becausce he can't he downloads them illegally.

Also how did the music industry cope with this. When aren't they recovering from it now. Perhaps they should do the same the films

[dangel]

DRM-free music _is_ selling though - and people will pay if it's reasonable and (most important) convenient. The latter is why iTunes does so well - buying music and transfering it to your iPod is a breeze.

[Jay]

And anyone who drives 1 MPH over the speed limit should never be allowed to drive again?

There are plenty of like examples as well. Nothing is as black and white as your statement paints it.

well its pretty back and white to me. If its illegal then ban if its not then don't.