Brits who download music illegally to receive warning letters

If you live in England and download a lot of copyrighted music, check your mailbox. The British government said Thursday that the recording industry and the country's largest ISPs have agreed on a deal to cut down on piracy through warning letters.

ISPs will identify and send postal letters to the most prolific downloaders, warning them of being detected. What the companies would do next is not yet known, as procedures have not been finalized.

Virgin Media, BSkyB, Carphone Warehouse, BT, Orange, and Tiscali have all signed on to the accord, with the British Phonographic Industry representing the labels. The group will work with Ofcom, the country's media regulator, on additional steps to take for those who ignore the letters.

Initially, the ISPs had argued that they could not be held responsible for the activities of their users. However, when the government threatened to pass legislation to curb file-sharing through legal means, the companies pulled back.

Around 6.5 million Britons are thought to have downloaded pirated material; the government did not specify how many of this group would receive letters as part of the enforcement action.

The recording industry welcomed the news in a statement Thursday. "The UK agreement is a big step towards reaching a solution to online piracy, and it shows that the process of engaging ISPs that was set in motion in France last year is gathering real momentum internationally," said IFPI chairman and CEO John Kennedy.

Other countries including Australia, Denmark, Japan and New Zealand are also launching similar efforts to force ISPs to take more responsibility for the actions of their users, especially when it comes to sharing and downloading illegal content.