If the cops are allowed to scan anybody's hard drive, ostensibly for child porn, will I get a fine for using Limewire to get a few tunes? most of which I already have paid for but are on vinyl or cassette tapes.

this is something else i was thinking about. Although downloading music is a MUCH smaller crime than downloading kp, if the authorities have the power to scan hard drives and check download records, why aren't they busting any music downloaders as well as kp downloaders?

marshmarsh16

I think you are getting confused about "who looks for what" on the Internet in regards to criminal activity.

First of all, the police and other UK government agencies look for signs of fraud, ID theft, terrorism, illegal web sites and anything that can be considered criminal and or terrorist linked activities.

That said, the government still wants all telecoms companies in the UK to keep a record of all communications, i.e. Internet, mobile, land line, IM, etc. that occur on their networks for 12 months.

Snooping database has to happen says gov't - Software - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/...9443438,00.htm

However, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), a close associate of the American RIAA, and their agents search the Internet for music sharers, i.e. uploaders and downloaders. The BPI then approach the ISP they suspect the music sharer belong to and demand the sharer's name and address.

Consequently, music sharing in the UK is a civil matter and not yet a criminal one.

I suspect that the BPI is lobbying the government to change the law and make music file sharing a criminal offence as well as giving themselves "police like" powers, similar to the powers the RIAA in America seem to have appropriated.

UK record industry in illegal file-sharing crackdown - Research - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

ISPs face fresh threat from file-sharing laws - Management - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

So, the police will not come knocking on your door because you share music files but if you are a prolific sharer you could get a letter from the BPI threatening to sue you.


UK Bob