The chief executive of UK telecoms regulator Ofcom , Ed Richards , has said that warning letters, which are typically sent by broadband ISPs to consumers suspected of involvement with online piracy (illegal downloads / file sharing), DO have a positive effect.


The warning letter process has been under a limited trial, of sorts, since last year; albeit only by the UK's biggest six broadband providers. Last week’s final Digital Britain approved the process for full rollout. However the creative industry now fears that letters alone are not effective enough.

Repeated abusers also face the prospect of having their personal details released to rights holders and the possible imposition of "technical" restrictions upon their service, such as slower speeds. It's notable that no evidence is sighted by Richards in support of his claim, which is disappointing as it would be useful to see how Ofcom has reached this conclusion.