Those who persistently pirate music and movies will soon start receiving emails warning them that their action are illegal, in a UK-wide crackdown on unlawful materials.
Starting next year, up to four warnings annually will be sent to households suspected of copyright infringement.
But if people ignore the warnings, no further action will be taken.
The warnings are part of a larger scheme that aims to educate people about copyright and legal ways to enjoy digital content.
The warning system is the result of four years’ wrangling between internet service providers (ISPs) and industry bodies representing music and movie-makers. This has led to the creation of the Voluntary Copyright Alert Programme (Vcap), which The UK’s biggest ISPs – BT, TalkTalk, Virgin and Sky – have signed up to.
In addition, the UK government has pledged to contribute £3.5million to an education campaign that will promote legal ways to listen to music and watch movies.
Introducing the three-year educational scheme, Business Secretary Vince Cable said the initiative was all about supporting the UK’s creative industries.
“It’s a difficult industry to pin down and it’s also difficult to protect,” he said. “But unless you protect it then it’s an industry that cannot function.”