So, apparently IFPI has decided that ISPs are obliged to take extreme measures against piracy. They are currently trying to convince the EU parliament to implement laws that require ISPs to start using a series of recommended actions against piracy. IFPI themselves claim that none of these measures are hard to implement, expensive or will cause any trouble. I wouldn’t trust that opinion though. Here’s the measures they recommend:
Content filtering
Content filtering, i.e. checking all data that passes through the ISPs network for copyrighted material. Not only is this difficult to implement, if not impossible, but will also give the ISP a ton of extra work. Imagine the postal service opening each letter by hand to check for incriminating information in not only your mail, but everyone’s. Besides, this is easily bypassed with encryption.
Protocol Blocking
Apparently, there are no legitimate uses of the BitTorrent protocol, such as free games, open-source software or free music (free as in free beer.) Therefore, blocking all BitTorrent traffic (which is not at all hard, promise) is entirely justified.
Blocking access to infringing websites
Not entirely unlike China’s forceful censorship of google, the Turkey government blocking YouTube and a ton of similar events, most of them in police states. This is one of the small steps a government takes when it wants to restrict the people and keep their power, so why should commercial organisations be allowed to force ISPs to do it? It’s kind of like allowing Microsoft to force ISPs to block all Linux and/or Mac content on the internet.
And even if they do pull this off, things are unlikely to actually change. As it is said, need is the mother of all inventions, and if they manage to do this there will undoubtedly be someone who finds a way around it.
