Japanese ISPs to take on downloaders

The IPKat has learnt from ZDNet that ISPs and copyright holders in Japan have reached an agreement by which Japan’s largest four ISPs will ban flagrant copyright infringers. Copyright owners will peruse lists of IP addresses downloading their works, and will then send that lists to the ISPs, who will warn the owners of the IP addresses and, if their behaviour doesn’t change, ban them. ZDNet claims there would be no privacy concerns because copyright owners would only need to look out for their own copyright works.

The IPKat says make no mistake, file sharing of copyright works is very naughty. However, he finds the idea of an agreement on withdrawing internet services stitched up between copyright owners and ISPs rather worrying. Surely it’s for copyright holders to enforce their own copyright and for ISPs to provide internet service unless their under a legal requirement to act as a police force as well?