The British government has officially decriminalized video game, movie, and music piracy because their plans to punish offenders just weren’t working out. This is a strange turn of events since all three industries have been vehemently pursuing prosecution for quite some time, citing damages to the industry.
So what happens now is that starting next year, offenders will be sent a total of four warning letters, advising them that their activities are illegal. But that’s about it. Apparently, no further action will be taken. Called the Voluntary Copyright Alert Program (VCAP), the scheme aims to change mindsets and raise awareness.
All of the UK’s biggest ISPs have signed on, and the smaller ones are expected to do the same in due course. It’s worth noting that recently released figures show that nearly a quarter of downloads in the UK are pirated content.
[Source: VG247]
