Sky Subscribers Caught Pirating Music Will Face Legal Charges

• Music labels have partnered with Sky Ireland to implement a “three-strike” anti-piracy scheme.
• Users will receive two warnings when pirating music online.
• Pirating a third time will lead to legal action by the labels and infringers will have their connectivity removed.

Three major labels which include Sony Music, Warner Music, and Universal Music have partnered with Sky Ireland to curb music piracy in the country. Users who are subscribed to Sky Ireland’s services will be monitored for any activity that involves music piracy. Downloading pirated content will lead to two warnings being given out by the ISP. If a third infringement is noticed, Sky will be notifying the music labels, and legal action may be taken to disconnect the infringing parties.

The music labels are part of the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), an organization that has been trying to curb music piracy for years. The agreement between the parties will allow online infringers to be brought to justice.

The labels tried to partner with another ISP UPC, but the internet provider refused. The ISP claimed that the partnership could put them at a financial disadvantage as they would be losing out on subscribers. Eventually, the matter was taken to court, and the legal body ruled in favor of the labels, forcing implementation of the three-strike program.

Local ISP Eircom also faced a similar situation, and they did not want to face legal pressure from big brands like Sony and Warner Bros., which is why they chose to adopt a three-strike program similar to Sky.

Sky agreed to partner with the ISPs but only if a court order could be arranged. The labels managed to acquire a court order, and the partnership is finally going into effect. The three strikes program is proving to be effective and is reducing the amount of illegal activity online. A cease-and-desist notice often deters pirates from downloading more illegal content and is highly effective. With multiple ISPs partnering with the music labels, getting a new connection without a three-strike program can prove to be difficult once a user loses his connectivity for illegal activity.

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