Counter Assertion

Charles Dunstone, the CEO of Carphone Warehouse, has criticized government plans to limit the broadband speed of any web user found illegally downloading copyrighted content. Before the government’s announcement on the issue, which is all set to appear in the Digital Britain report, Dunstone told The Guardian that illegal downloading is so rampant it cannot be checked in any way.

Calling the government’s regulatory efforts “nave”, Dunstone said consumers should be enlightened about the benefits of honouring copyright. He also advocated providing easy and inexpensive access to content as a much more effective strategy for dealing with online piracy.

Dunstone noted that the tendency to hold peer-to-peer downloads solely responsible for piracy is flawed, stating that online content sharing can be carried out through many other means.

He explained that if speed limitations or total disconnection for peer-to-peer sharing is practised, internet users will resort to either concealing their traffic or sharing content in some other way. It would become a game of hide-and-seek, one that might lead to politicians being coerced into passing absurd legislations.

Dunstone expressed his views on this subject following the release of the company’s annual financial results. The results show that Carphone profits have risen by £4m as compared to last year, to reach £133m. For broadband information, terms, meanings, etc, or just to keep up with the latest broadband news a really good site to go to is Broadband Genie.