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Digital Economy Bill: Using Piracy as a Scapegoat

It is appalling that until this very day and age, the legislation still relies on broad statistical research done by private companies in order to provide solid backing for making their decisions.

Not that surveys make for bad advice, but it certainly twists things around when the focus should be looking for a real solution.

The Digital Economy Bill has found a new backing in the form of a recent research study prepared by the TERA Consultants (requested by the International Chamber of Commerce) regarding how piracy will impact the economy in the UK. The results are particularly shocking: not only will piracy cost the UK 240 Billion Euros by 2015, but it will also cost 1.2 million jobs as well.

Are they serious about this?

There is no doubt that piracy is indeed rampant, causing many sectors the loss of income and obviously, quite illegal and should be stopped. For the piracy to actually start costing jobs however, would be pushing it. In a move meant to play to the hearts of major worker unions in order to increase support to lobby the Digital Economy Bill; this research has been presented as an added scare factor.

Should the UK really fold to so quickly to the Digital Economy Bill? There are certainly a lot of excellent aspects to the bill itself, and it would be quite beneficial to several sectors of the business industry. For end users and consumers however, there is very little positive change to be gained.

This is an ironic circumstance; for if the bill does get passed, it will actually make more consumers turn to piracy even more. Piracy should and must be stopped at all costs, but for it to be used as a scapegoat in order to create pressure for pushing legislation is a completely different matter. Let us hope that the TUC realizes that this not the path they want to go.

Read more about the research data regarding piracy at the London Daily News.