The Digital Economy Act allows for monitoring of internet activity to catch illegal file sharing. Those caught illegally downloading face consequences that start with a warning letter and can escalate to slowing down or temporarily suspending internet access. This is an attempt to stop losses in the music industry due to illegal downloading. However, others argue that file sharing can help artists by exposing more people to their music and that it may encourage future legal purchases or funding. The outcomes are uncertain, as illegal downloading may just shift rather than stop, and internet providers could lose business.

1. NET POLICE
The Digital Economy Act

2. Due to illegal file sharing of music, film, TV, etc
especially music, illegal downloading has left record
labels in the UK to lose £200,000 annum in effect of
this.
Illegal file sharing/downloading is mostly present in
the younger generations as they feel if they can get
music for free then why pay for it!
61% of 14-24 year olds admit to illegally downloading
The British Phonographic industry believe that there
should be a way to limit and even stop the
downloading so the music industry can stop their
losses.

3. How can downloading be stopped?
The British phonographic industry and the
government have passed a bill that addresses the
issue of illegal file sharing...
The digital economy act/bill is essentially a law that
means peoples activity can be monitored through
their wifi. If someone is caught illegally downloading
they will get a letter, then if it occurs again they get a
warning, and if it happens once more then the ‘net
police’ can slow down the wifi connection or even put
their wifi on hold for a decided period. By doing this
there is hope that it will encourage people to stop
committing illegal activity.

4. What could it mean for the music
industry?
Illegal file sharing has many negative effects within
the music industry. Record labels are losing money
which means they have less to spend and invest on
new artists. Therefore meaning, less money, less
opportunities.
Scouting for Girls has thought about the issue of file
sharing and makes a moral point according to
possibly every artist. That the artist and songwriter
and the production team have put in effort to create
music and spent money on it for then people to just
take the music freely just because they can cause
the artists to lose faith in fans and also can mean
the hard work is not appreciated for its value.

5. Arguments against the act
Some people actually argue that file sharing can
have a great effect but positively on artists and
record labels.
The featured artist coalition which is made up from
new artists to old artists; is against the digital
economy as they agree that the internet creates a
career for independent artists as it get’s them
notice and if the music is free then it can lead to
people discovering and downloading and perhaps
growing a like for the music which therefore
creates a fan base to then buy more music.

6. Also there is an argument that the internet as a
whole can be a kick-start to a artist career through
crowd funding for example. If peoples internet is cut
off then this would stop independent artists from
being funded to start a career.
In addition some illegal downloader's actually admit
if they like a track and album then they actually will
physically buy a record or CD of the music.
Also the industry still gets a lot of money from
concerts and approximately fans spend £4.4 billion.

7. The outcomes
Will having net police actually definitely stop
illegal file sharing or will it just put it on pause and
put other companies such as broadband
companies in danger of losing business?
Or will the net police not acknowledge the
changes in the music industry and realise how big
of impact the internet has.