Broadband provider TalkTalk UK has warned that the majority of music fans will switch to alternative ways of accessing copyright-protected content for free if using peer-to-peer (P2P) services leaves them vulnerable to disconnection. The ISP reports that 80% (577) of those aged 18-34 in its new Opinium survey said they would switch to using methods which are undetectable.

TalkTalk believes the poll shows that the Digital Economy Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament and might become law before the election, will not achieve its aims of reducing illegal filesharing and protecting the revenues of the content industry.

There is a large and growing array of non-P2P tools and services available, including applications which scan thousands of internet radio stations and download the desired tracks in a wholly undetectable way. There are also methods which effectively conceal users’ IP addresses, not to mention block lists, proxy servers, private FTPs and VPN's.

The provider is also concerned that the temptation to hack into other peoples home wireless Wi-Fi networks to download content will also grow if the Digital Economy Bill becomes law in its current form. This could lead to many more innocent people being wrongly accused of copyright theft and facing disconnection despite having done nothing wrong.


Earlier this week it emerged that copyright infringement in France had increased by 3% in three months after its controversial three strikes Hadopi law was introduced. However countries such as Sweden have seen a much more positive, in a commercial sense at least, impact to the imposition of tougher rules.

When self-confessed file sharers were asked what fraction of their illicitly accessed content they would buy legally if P2P services were no longer available to them, 66% said it would be 2% or less. In fact four in ten wouldn’t pay for a single track they had already downloaded for free.