UK Government Decriminalises Online Piracy

ISP's will now be sending out sternly worded letters to those suspected of online piracy, thanks to VCAP - the new voluntary programme.

The Voluntary Copyright Alert Programme (which comes into action in 2015) means that users will get a letter, then another one - then two more. If that doesn't stop you, then nothing will. Apparently.

It is to build awareness, as the thinking is that most piracy is done without the homeowners' knowledge - teens doing it without their parents having a clue what is going on.

However, with Ofcom having released a report saying that over three quarters of downloads in the UK are perfectly legal, it is uncertain what effect - if any - this will have. According of their figures, pirates are also more likely to pay for downloads than non-pirates - this of course means more non-pirates are purchasing music, movies and videogames in brick-and-mortar shops.