Irish Internet firm to shut off illegal music users

Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:55pm GMT
By Andras Gergely

DUBLIN, Jan 29 (Reuters) -
Irish Internet provider Eircom has agreed to disconnect users who download music illegally from the Web in a settlement with four major record companies that Irish media said was the first of its kind in the world.
The record companies -- EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner -- had wanted Eircom to install software from a U.S. firm to detect the "fingerprint" of copyrighted music files being sent on its network.
Eircom, which feared the software would have interfered with its broadband service and could break privacy laws, instead pledged to disconnect users who continue to download illegally after two warnings.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUKLT73870420090129