The Department for Business, Enterprise&Regulatory Reform (DBERR) today launched a consultation intended to set out and gather views on a proposal for developing a voluntary approach to dealing with the problem of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing technology used to exchange unlawful copies of copyright material.

The consultation takes forward recommendations made in the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property with the aim of encouraging better co-operation between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and rights holders to address the issue. It also comes on the day that a landmark industry agreement, signed by the six major Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the music and film rights-holders and Government, has also been announced.

According to the DBERR, this agreement is a world-first solution aiming to provide consumers with content in the way they wish to use it, encouraging new uses of technology and protecting Britain’s world leading creative industries.

Going further, Business Secretary of State John Hutton said, “This is an intelligent approach to tackling unlawful fire-sharing by industry and ISPs. It tells consumers what they can do, rather than just what they can’t. This light-touch approach keeps up with the pace set by technology and will protect consumers, creative industries and the use of technology now and in the longer term.”

To view the consultation please visit the DBERR website here .