Industry News

The BPI has challenged Talk Talk to get with the times after the ISP rejected the trade body's attempts to foster dialog between both parties.

"In claiming that the music industry is asking any ISP to become the 'Internet police', 'impinge customers rights' or 'restrict freedom to use of the Internet', Talk Talk either seek to misrepresent our position, or just doesn't get it," the BPI's CEO Geoff Taylor comments in a statement, issue today.

The labels association had tried to engage with the Carphone Warehouse-owned ISP to hammer out a solution to illegal filesharing, but instead got a public snubbing.

Charles Dunstone, chairman of Carphone Warehouse, the U.K. mobile phone retailing giant, has told reporters that that he cannot see his company ever voluntarily disconnecting any of its subscribers on the basis of what a third party alleges.

"Contrary to Talk Talk' claims, passing advice on to their customers is not 'unreasonable' or 'unworkable'," adds Taylor. "We strongly disagree on this point when that usage is illegal, and the government's position in this area is also clear."

The British government has applied pressure on ISPs to work with the record industry on a voluntary solution to the downloading problem, using the threat of legislation as the stick.

"We firmly believe in an Internet where property rights are respected, and creativity is fairly rewarded," says Taylor. "This will grow our digital economy, which is in the interest of all of us. Talk Talk should understand that time has moved on, and should choose to be part of this future."

The BPI this week published on its Website a statement detailing what it hopes to achieve through talks with ISPs.